Joshua Noble
by BelindaDuvessa
Summary: What happened to Rose and the Meta-crisis after Bad Wolf Bay? This is their continued story.
1. Bad Wolf Bay

For those who were reading this when I took it down, I apologize. After a few reviews telling me the story was decent, but extremely difficult to read, I took them all down to re-write. Hopefully, this will be enjoyed at least as much as the original stories.

**Bad Wolf Bay**

Bad Wolf Bay was a miserable sight. Grey sand and rocks littered the landscape. The air was crisp, damp, and cut to the bone. He wasn't shaking from the cold. He was angry and frustrated. Yes, he had been left with the woman he, no they, loved. But he had been abandoned by his creators. Cast aside because he did what the others were not willing to do. And because of his actions, his Rose was also being punished. Sentenced to life with him. She was given a choice and had chosen him. But neither of them were fooled. He would have made the same decision for the both of them, forcefully, if he had to. Life wasn't fair.

Speaking of the woman he loved, she looked as numb as he felt. The Doctor and Donna had left while she was busy kissing him. He hadn't noticed until he heard the engines. Now, Rose was perfectly still, staring where the TARDIS had just sat. Tears streaked her face, but they were silent. She was silent. He touched her shoulder, bringing her back to awareness but she smiled. It was a small, tentative smile, almost shy. She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. His smile engulfed his face. She smiled bigger, letting the tip of her tongue poke through.

"Stuck with you, that's not so bad," she said.

"Better with two," he replied, softly.


	2. The Journey Home

**The Journey Home**

Luckily, both Rose and Jackie had remembered to bring their cell phones. Of course, Pete wouldn't be able to get the zeppelin to them for several hours. The three of them started the long trek to Bergen. It would take a bit for a taxi to get there, but Pete assured them he'd stressed to the driver how important it was that they hurry to get these passengers. Pete also took the liberty of securing shelter for the night. He insisted that Jackie call if she thought of anything else.

The ride to the hotel itself was quiet. The occasional text message to both Rose and Jackie but otherwise, no one seemed to want to talk. Rose sat in between the Doctor and Jackie and even when she had to answer the phone, she never took her hand out of his.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They shuffled tiredly into the hotel. Pete had only gotten them two rooms, which meant someone would have to stay together. Jackie didn't give them the chance to argue. She took a key, then shoved the other at Rose.

"You two go ahead and take the room together. Get cleaned up, then catch up. Or get sleep. I don't really care. But Lord knows I'm exhausted so don't try bothering me until in the morning."

Rose smiled gratefully at her Mum. For someone who used to be so against the Doctor and the "dangers" he put her daughter through, marrying this world's Pete had opened her eyes a bit. Aliens, and even invasions, were an every day part of her life now. She knew to take advantage of a good situation when it was handed to her.

Rose jangled the keys in front of the Doctor's face, getting his attention.

"C'mon you, she's right. You look about dead on your feet. Let's get cleaned up, then sleep, yeah?"

He nodded mutely as he let her lead him up the stairs. Entering their shared room, he wasn't sure what surprised him more. The fact that Jackie and willingly given them a room with only one bed, or the clothes that were laid out on the bed for them both.

"Mum filled Pete in briefly. She requested clothes for all of us, as well as some sort of take out for dinner."

"How in the world did he get my dimensions?" Rose snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You know, there was a time where I worked in a shop. I do still know how to guess a person's size. Besides, who do you think dressed you when you were useless after your last Regeneration?" She smiled, tongue in teeth and disappeared into the en suite before he had a change to respond.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

She let the water cascade over her body. The pounding of the water drown the sounds of her tears as she cried. She'd worked so hard to get back to him and once again, he'd made the choice for her. Yes, she had kissed this one, but he didn't have to leave without saying goodbye! Either of them! She'd gotten to know and care about Donna during this whole ordeal and why would she turn her back like that as well?

And what about this one? Would staying here on Earth be enough for him, or would he get the itch to run away as well? Would he try to stand beside her as her partner or would he do like he always did and make the decisions for her? And the biggest question she had: Would she be enough for him now that he was stuck on Earth?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor paced the room while Rose showered. No matter how loud the water was, he could still hear her crying through the walls. He wanted nothing more than to go in there to comfort her, but did he really have the right? Yes, she'd kissed him on that beach, but she'd spent all that time trying to get back to the other him, the Time Lord. His mind was just as sharp as the others'. More so with the added ingenuity of being human (thank you Donna!). But would that be enough?

He had nothing to give her but himself. No Time or Space. No adventures. Just himself, as a man. And that's what scared him the most. That he wouldn't be man, or Time Lord, enough for her.

Before he would delve further into any more self-destructive thoughts, he heard the water turn off in the en suite. One way or another, those questions would be answered within the next few hours.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When she emerged from the en suite, she felt much better. Somehow, between the tears and the worrying, she came to several conclusions.

That the Doctor left her here, not from rejection, but to give her a chance at a normal life.

She had found him, and, even though the Time Lord never said it, she did know how he felt.

Even though the Time Lord hadn't stayed, he'd still left her with himself.

This might not have happened like she imagined it would. She imagined she would spend the rest of her life on the TARDIS. But she would try to spend the rest of her life with the man she was given. _Her Doctor._

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When he emerged from the en suite, food was waiting. She smiled widely at him, and the insecurities that had been building since they'd landed, started to dissipate.

They ate, joking and laughing, like no time had passed at all. After they had cleaned their mess, they lay on the bed, facing one another. They traded stories of their time apart. He carefully avoided the Year that Never Was. He wasn't quite ready to relive that yet. She avoided stories that recounted her worst injuries. Injuries that she barely had scars for, and no real explanation as to why she didn't scar. An unspoken agreement, they kept the topics light-hearted. Eventually, sleep claimed them both.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When they woke, it was to the sound of Jackie pounding on their door, telling them that the zeppelin was here. They'd moved in the night. He was laying on his back. She was tucked into his side, her head on his shoulder. Despite how abruptly they were woken, neither really wanted to move. It wasn't until Rose became uncomfortable and had to go to the bathroom that they untangled themselves and got ready for the day. He longed to put his suit back on, but opted instead for the jeans and shirt that Pete had gotten for him. He took a breath, and let it out slowly. Yes, he was the Doctor, but he was also someone different. Maybe, he should try to build an identity that was uniquely his own.

Pete met them at the zeppelin. He was only mildly surprised to see the Doctor, but he greeted him warmly. Jackie soon took all of Pete's attention. See that the coast was clear, so to speak, Rose led the Doctor to one of the observation windows. They stood there, admiring the scenery for a bit, before she decided to talk.

"I know this has got to be difficult for you. It is for me, if I'm honest. But I made my choice. I just wanted you to know that." She chanced a glance at him, and his eyes were wide in wonder.

"Why in the world would you choose me over him? I have nothing, Rose."

"I didn't need the TARDIS or all of Time and Space. All I ever needed was you. And like it or not, you're the same man. You just have different futures now." His eyes looked vulnerable, and his brow creased as if he were thinking.

"And how do you see my future, Rose Tyler?"

"It's going to be fantastic."

He couldn't help agreeing with that.


	3. A Quiet Night

**A Quiet Night**

Jackie thought it odd that the Doctor was so quiet and withdrawn. Through the car ride, and the ride on the zeppelin, he'd mostly stared out the window. Had it been anyone else, she would have thought he was suffering from some sort of shock. But this was the Doctor, and he melded into new situations seamlessly.

Rose finally had to excuse herself, and Jackie took the opportunity to talk to him.

"Doctor, you alright?" She kept her voice low and even. He blinked rapidly before slowly turning his head towards her. He considered lying to her, to tell her that he was always alright. But the concern in her eyes prompted him to answer her truthfully.

"I feel like I'm dreaming, and when I wake up, none of you will be here."

"Oh, sweetheart." Before he could react, she enveloped him in a hug. It wasn't the bone crushing hugs he'd gotten used to when they visited. If he had to describe it, he would call it motherly. That didn't fit with how he envisioned Jackie Tyler, though, and he almost fought her off. Another part of him, though, melted into this hug. He was finally home, with his family, because that's what they were. And a part of him felt so, so sorry for his Time Lord counter-part, who was undoubtedly alone by now.

He felt Rose's hand in his, and sat up. He looked around the zeppelin and took in the faces. Each face mirrored his own. Happiness that they were all alive, and together. And he felt for the first time in centuries, that he was home.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"So, Rose, are you and the Doctor coming to the mansion tonight?" Rose points to the Doctor, who is looking out the windows again. They were finally over England and were soon to be in London.

"It's up to him, really." He scrunched his face, thinking about it for a moment.

"I kind of assumed we would be. I didn't know that Rose had her own place."

"But do you want to was the question."

"I...no? Can I say no?" Rose and Jackie exchange a look while Pete just shook his head. Finally, the silent conversation between the women stopped, and Jackie left the room. The Doctor glanced between Rose and Pete.

"We're going to go to my place tonight, Dad." Pete stared after his wife before nodding once.

"Ah. Let me go talk to her."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

After Pete left, Rose and the Doctor were alone again. By their silent agreement the night before, both kept the conversation light. The conversation eventually turned towards their dinner plans for the night.

"Obviously some sort of take-out. I'm not sure how long we were gone, but I made sure to clean all of the food out of the flat before leaving." Rose chewed on her lip, a nervous gesture that she'd never quite grown out of.

"Weell-" He made sure to draw out the word, making Rose smile. He smiled back, pleased with himself before he finished his sentence. "-why don't we do an old favorite?"

"Chips?"

"Chips. But I'm sorry to inform you, my lady, that I have no worldly possessions." Rose snorted at his antics.

"So what you're saying is, I have to pay again?"

"Yep!" The Doctor popped the 'p' in his pronunciation, another habit that made Rose smile. Another habit that made her believe that this was the same man after all.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They departed the zeppelin quickly, each hardly able to wait to get home. Jackie seemed to be in a much better mood. She hugged and kissed both the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor made a face of mild disgust, which made everyone laugh. Secretly, he was please, but he probably would never let Jackie know.

Rose rented a car from the airport to drive them home. The Doctor offered to drive, but Rose declined. She knew exactly where they were going and what stops to make. The Doctor pouted for a moment, but a quick kiss from Rose made him smile again.

They decided to eat outside the chippy so the chips would still be hot. The Doctor's impatience led him to burn his fingers. Their conversation winded down many different roads but eventually came to the decision of his wardrobe.

"What's wrong with my suit?"

"Nothing is wrong with your suit. But you need a bit of variety. You won't be gallivanting across time and space any more. People will judge you based on your clothing."

"I don't really care what people think." He grumbled and pouted. He loved his suit!

"I care what they think. Look, I'm not saying no suits. I'm just asking that you pick a variety of different clothes. You never know...you might actually like it."

The Doctor scrunched his nose. He didn't think he would ever like anything other than his suit. But then he looked down. He was wearing jeans and a jumper, very reminiscent of his last self. That brought up a question in his mind. Did Rose want him to change? He had thought she liked this version of himself. Did she want the past version more?

The more he thought, the more depressed and agitated he became. His mind wandered from his clothes, to his career. Now that he was stuck on the slow path, he would need a job of some sort. Not just for his own sanity, either. He knew from experience how catastrophic it could be for him to be stationary. Trouble had a tendency to find him.

Before he could ponder his new life further, they had arrived at Rose's flat.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When they arrived at her apartment building, the doorman greeted Rose before handing her back her key.

"Jackie called ahead. She said you didn't decide to leave after all. Your things are where you left them." Rose nodded before starting to walk off. The doorman stopped her by clearing his throat.

"Will the gentleman be a frequent guest?" Rose pursed her lips together, before smiling.

"Yeah, he'll be staying with me as well."

"Spectacular. I'll make sure that the manager gets you another key made."

The ride up the elevator was made in silence. Rose was growing more and more concerned as the night progressed. The Doctor seemed to be withdrawing into himself. Depression in the first him was a fairly common occurrence. She wasn't used to seeing it with her pinstriped Doctor. Then again, could he still be called her pinstriped Doctor? The entire situation left her confused and it was probably much worse for him. She decided then and there that she would make the rest of his life worth living.

Inside the door, she stopped him. She reached up, caressing his face. He leaned into her touch, nuzzling her hand.

"We'll be fine, Doctor. You'll see." She took him on a short tour of the flat. The flat was small, but cozy. It was a two bedroom, two bath apartment in a very posh part of the neighborhood. She went to her bedroom and started unpacking the few things she took with her. He hovered in the doorway, unsure of what to do with himself.

"I don't bite, you know." She threw him a cheeky, tongue-touched grin. He responded with a grin of his own.

"I don't...I'm not sure what to do with myself. This is your home."

"This is where I lived, but it was never a home. Home was wherever you were. Maybe now that you're here, we can make it a home together." He smiled at her warmly and strode across the room. The Doctor engulfed her in his arms and buried his face in her hair. His Rose always knew what to say.

"C'mon now, Doctor. Let's get ready for bed. I'm still knackered and we have a big day tomorrow."

"What do we have to do tomorrow?"

"Shopping! Then dinner with my folks."

"Oh, shopping sounds like it might be a bit fun. Can we skip the part with your mum, though?"

"No, already promised her we'd be there. Now c'mon, time for bed."

"I'm not really tired."

"That's fine, really. But, could you stay here with me, at least until I fall asleep?"

"I..yeah, I can do that." They both stripped down and changed. The Doctor was a bit self conscious, but Rose seemed to not be bothered.

Once she was in the bed, she patted the spot beside her. He settled in the bed. He seemed not to know what to do with himself, so Rose made the decision for him. She scooted her back towards the middle of the bed and draped his arm around her waist. It took him a moment before his arms were wrapped tightly around her and their bodies molded together.

"Thank you, for staying with me."

"I'll stay with you always."

They fall asleep, for the first time in their shared flat, small smiles on their faces.


	4. Job Offers

**Job Offers**

The Doctor eased out of bed, trying desperately not to wake his sleeping companion. Now that the remnants of the regeneration had worn off a bit, he felt a bit more like himself. Oh, he knew his new body would act differently. Each new body did, but this one would be the first that was part human. For the first time since he was created, he was still enough to take inventory of his new body.

He made his way to the living room and sat on the couch. He closed his eyes and turned his gaze inward. He already knew about the one heart. His respiratory bypass seemed to also be missing. He sucked in a deep breath and held it. The burn of not breathing took hold almost immediately. He pushed it away, trying to gauge how well his lungs worked. The Doctor managed to hold his breath for a solid four minutes before he gasped for air again. Longer than the typical human, so there was at least that.

His immune system still seemed to be very good. Maybe not as good as his Time Lord body, but he didn't figure he would have to worry about getting sick. Well, at least not as quickly.

Just as he was about to catalog his mind, he heard a scream come from the bedroom. The Doctor launched himself from the couch and ran. What he saw almost froze his single heart.

Rose was sprawled on the bed, body tense, fighting something unseen. She was screaming, like she was in pain. The Doctor jumped into action quickly. He scrambled atop the bed, pinning her limps to the bed so she couldn't hit him. This seemed to only make her thrash more. He leaned in, placing his lips next to her ear.

"Rose, love, wake up. It's just a nightmare." Rose whimpered, but immediately started calming. The Doctor untangled their limbs, and held Rose tightly to his chest. "Oh, if I'd known you had nightmares, I wouldn't have left the room. I've got you. I've got you and I'm never letting go."

Rose breathing slowly became normal as he rocked her. The Doctor soothed her with softly spoken words and light caresses. Once she was calm again, the Doctor situated himself beneath the covers. So long as she had these nightmares, he vowed he would stay in the room with her. Maybe, eventually, her nightmares would fade. The Doctor took in her sleeping form. Laying with her, he decided, was not the worst way to spend one's night.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The bright morning sun shining through her bedroom windows is what finally woke Rose. The night before, she had neglected to shut her blackout blinds. It was just as well, really. They had a long day ahead of them.

Rose turned in the bed, seeking out her partner. She was greeted with chocolate brown and a warm smile. Rose couldn't help but smile in return.

"How are you feeling this morning?" The concern in his voice was evident. She opened her mouth to reply that she was fine, but a heaviness in her throat stopped her. Rose tried to swallow, but her throat was killing her. She looked at the Doctor, her face scrunched in confusion.

"You had a nightmare last night. I left the bed for a bit and you started screaming. I managed to get you calm but not before you screamed yourself raw."

Rose nodded then cleared her throat. It still ached, but not nearly as bad as when she originally woke.

"I'll be fine in a bit, promise." It was the Doctor's turn to look at her quizzically. "These nightmares happen every night, Doctor. It will take no more than thirty minutes for my throat to be back in working order."

"You didn't have them at the hotel."

"No, I wouldn't have. I've trained my body to go into a dreamless sleep when not at home. It doesn't do well to hear the boss screaming if she happens to fall asleep at work or on a field mission." The Doctor looked mildly impressed.

"It takes quite a bit of will power and mind control to manage that. Even I couldn't always get it right." She smiled, but it was a sad, far-away look.

"There are a number of things that have happened to me, Doctor. I'm no longer the nineteen year old shop girl from the Estates. I've seen things and done things you wouldn't believe. And I've learned things about myself that I never thought were possible. And one day I might even tell you some of it. But not today." She got out of bed slowly. Rose wouldn't admit it, but her body was still a bit sore from the nightmares.

"Are you sure you're alright, Rose?" She smiled ruefully. The Doctor can't see it. Her back was to him.

"I'm always alright." It was like a slap in the face. Rose fled the room before he could respond.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

After Rose fled, he sat on the edge of the bed, dumbfounded. Of all the traits Rose could have gained from him, why that one? Rose had always been truthful with him. Brutally so, on certain occasions. But Rose had always been one of his best friends. The Doctor ran his hands over his face. A right pair they were.

The Doctor dressed into his suit slowly, trying to give Rose time to herself. When he padded to the kitchen, Rose was nowhere to be found. He scrounged through the cabinets, looking for something to eat. He ended up making two bowls of instant oatmeal. The Doctor was taking the second bowl out of the microwave when Rose made an appearance. She smiled gratefully at him before sitting down and eating.

"You know, Rose, we should probably hit Tesco's before coming in tonight. These cupboards are pretty bare."

"I'm surprised you found even this much. I practically lived off take-out or the cafeteria at Torchwood. I didn't think I had anything edible in this place."

"Well, I'm not sure about you, but I think a few home-cooked meals would do us both good. What do you say, Rose?"

"And who will be doing the cooking? If you've forgotten, I burn water. And I distinctly remember a certain Time Lord who burnt toast trying to feed me when I was sick."

"Oi! I'll have you know Rose that I am an excellent cook!" The Doctor looked slightly affront by her disbelief. "Just because I never cooked before doesn't mean I can't. It was just more convenient to eat wherever we were. Besides, I enjoyed showing you new cuisine. You seemed to enjoy it as well."

Rose smiled at him before getting up and washing her bowl. He followed her to the sink and rinsed his bowl out as well.

"You're right, Doctor. I did enjoy it. But I think you're probably right. A few good meals here at home would probably do me good. But don't you think we're getting a bit domestic here?"

"Rose Tyler." His voice dropped and he stepped close, placing his mouth at her ear. "You are the one person I could see myself becoming domestic with. I _**have**_ seen myself be domestic with. Fantasized about it. Don't question my sincerity or my devotion to you. I'm yours, however you'll take me."

The Doctor stepped away from her, leaving her breathless. Wordlessly, she followed him from the flat and out into the world.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor, much to Rose's delight and his horror, absolutely adored shopping. Maybe adore wasn't the correct word, but he was extremely enthusiastic about it. It only took them about ten minutes to find more suits similar to what he already had. He ended up getting three. One was his customary brown with blue pinstripes. He got another blue, but the stripes were white. The last was black with white stripes. They didn't have his customary bigger-on-the-inside pockets. He wasn't sure yet how he would manage that. Then again, after the incident with the Judoon on the Moon, he made sure to have a couple of spare sonics. If he were lucky, one of those would be in his blue suit.

He also bought henley's and ties in an assortment of colors. No one would be able to claim that his wardrobe was boring. He bought his customary trainers to match each of his suits. Once his "armor", as Rose jokingly called it, was situated, she drug him to the casual section. After much moping and pouting on his part, he began to enjoy himself. He enthusiastically modeled for Rose. He tried jeans and khakis as well as polos and t-shirts. He even modeled a pair of pajamas he managed to find. They were a navy blue with bananas in sleep-wear dancing all over. Rose fell into a fit of giggles when he walked out in them. He grinned cheekily before retreating to the changing room.

Rose phone rang shortly after. Pete called her to make sure they were coming to dinner that night. When asked why, he evaded. Rose grew suspicious but told Pete they would be there.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They stopped at Tesco's and got a few groceries. Rose put the groceries away, while the Doctor went to change. When he emerged from their shared bedroom, Rose's jaw dropped. Out pranced the Doctor. Instead of his customary suit, which she expected, he was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a dark blue polo shirt. On his feet, he wore a pair of trainers that matched his polo. He looked like a completely different man. Unconsciously, she licked her lips.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and sauntered towards her. She took an involuntary step back. It seemed to her that he was prowling across the flat towards her. When the Doctor reached her, he grasped her hands gently in his own. The Doctor leaned in and Rose thought for sure that he would kiss her. Instead, he brought his lips near her ear.

"Thank you, Rose, for everything." He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. He stepped back, keeping her hands in his, and smiled. It wasn't the manic grin she was used to. This was a softer smile. The sparkle in his eyes conveyed what he wasn't saying with his words. She smiled back as lovingly as she could. It wasn't exactly the situation she imagined she would be in a few days ago, but this was their second chance.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose stepped into the door of her parents' mansion and was immediately assault by an armful of happy 3 year old.

"Wosie! You back!" Rose smiled at her little brother before lifting him and turning him towards the Doctor.

"Tony, I'd like for you to meet someone." The wriggling child immediately quieted and became shy. "Tony, honey, this is the Doctor."

The Doctor watched the child as realization dawned on him. Tony's eyes lit up as he looked at this strange new man. Tony cataloged everything about the man in front of him to what his sister had told him. Something was missing.

"Where's you suit?" The Doctor laughed, pure joy on his face.

"You told him stories about me?" Rose blushed a bit, but nodded.

"It was the easiest way to keep your stories alive, and it gave me hope." The Doctor's smile softened. He turned his attention back to Tony.

"Well, Tony, my suit is needing to be cleaned. But I'll make sure to wear one next time, just for you." Tony smile lit up the room as he wiggled out of his sister's arms. He ran down the hallway, towards the door to the back yard.

"C'mon Wose! Doctah!"

They followed Tony to the back yard where they all romped. Eventually, they began reenacting one of the best adventures the Doctor and Rose ever had. It was one of the few adventures where they didn't have casualties but it wasn't the one the Doctor thought it would be. They reenacted Margaret the Slitheen and the second time they met her.

Jackie and Pete eventually were drawn to the porch to watch them all play. Pete wrapped his arms around Jackie, who hummed happily.

"You know, Jacks, I don't care what their answers to my offers are. I'm just happy that Rose and the Doctor are here with us. This isn't the family I envisioned, to be sure, but I wouldn't trade this for the world."

"I certainly wouldn't have expected it. But I'm glad this is where we ended up."

"You think we should break them up and let them know dinner is ready?" Jackie smiled, a little mischief in her eyes and yelled. Immediately, all three broke apart and stared up at her. The Doctor and Tony's faces were horrified. Rose looked at her mum, a small smirk on her face.

"C'mon you three! Dinner's ready. Time to wash up!" Tony raced inside while Rose and the Doctor slowly made their way in.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

After dinner, Rose and the Doctor followed Pete into his study. He poured himself a drink and offered a drink to both Rose and the Doctor. Both declined, which he had expected. Still, it was polite to ask.

"Now, I've called you both in here to talk about your futures. Rose, as you know, you are still welcome at Torchwood at any time. Doctor, the same goes for you as well. I know that the Torchwood in your world wasn't that great, but ours is different. Rose is our leading liaison to off-worlders. She also runs a great team. Doctor, I know you from seeing how you work and with my own eyes. I would like to hire you as a sort of consultant. Rose mentions you did that at one point for the UNIT in your world. We don't have that here, just Torchwood. But it would be an honor to have you on board."

Pete waited a moment to let his words sink in. Rose had a small smile on her face. The Doctor, however, was hunched over, fingers steepled, deep in thought.

"You don't have to make a decision now. Officially, you have until the end of next week. Unofficially, if you feel like you want to help us, you can let me know at any time." Rose nodded and the Doctor ran his fingers through his hair. Before he could get any more agitated, Rose placed a hand on his arm.

"Tell you what, today is Thursday. Why don't we, on Monday, go up to Torchwood so you can see how we work. You'll need to get with Ianto to build you an identity anyway. Plus, you can help me dismantle the Dimension Cannon. It is still there, right?" Pete nodded at his daughter. He wasn't about to let someone else touch her pride-and-joy.

"Good. Just, come up there and see. That's all we ask. If you take the job, great. If not, that's fine as well. The choice is yours, Doctor."

"I..well...I appreciate that, Pete. And you too, Rose. I'll...consider it."

"Great. In the meantime, take this." Pete handed the Doctor a thick packet. At his questioning look, Pete explained. "Rose should be able to help you with this. It's an information packet so we can build you a life here. Rose actually came up with it herself. She helps integrate offworlders into our society if they come here seeking to stay."

"You give shelter to aliens?" Rose and Pete both smiled widely at the Doctor.

"Yeah, we do. At least a third of the population is alien in nature."

"That's...that's really good. How long has it been since the Cyber War?" Rose answered the Doctor. This was a touchy subject for Pete.

"Five years since the initial invasion. Four years since the first breach. Only about two in the original Universe. Time runs differently between the two. You only notice it if you're hopping from one to the other."

"So, exactly what year is it here, then?"

"2011. Specifically, February 17, 2011."

"It feels a bit warm for February."

"That's because of the breach. Remember, it created heat, which was changing our climate. Well, when Davros started his experiments with the twenty-seven planets, it weakened the walls. And, like the past breach, it generated heat. That was one of the clues that something was wrong. The climate should right itself since the breach is closed."

The Doctor seemed satisfied with these answers. Only time would tell. Rose got up, grabbing for the Doctor's hand. They excused themselves and headed towards home. As they made their way home, the Doctor couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he could make a life for himself here.


	5. First Date

**First Date**

The Doctor and Rose spent the day organizing his carefully crafted lie. With his immense knowledge, it should have been simple to craft his new identity. They quickly became aware, however, that this would shape the rest of his life. His name, Rose quickly found, was the easiest part of the entire ordeal.

"Joshua Donald Noble." She read the name off the piece of paper with a bit of awe. "You made your name into Donna's."

"Well of course I did. She helped create me."

"That's nice. Why Joshua, though?"

"I wanted something that was unique to me."

"Ah." Rose and the Doctor (Joshua) spent the day getting his paperwork together. When he went to Torchwood, he would have everything together.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They stopped at around 4pm. Both their backs were hurting from being bent over the table all day. It was a new sensation for Joshua. As a Time Lord, he didn't succumb to the aches and pains the way most humans did. It took quite a lot to make him sore. With this part-human body, he wasn't quite sure how far he could push it.

Rose suggested they go out for the night. Out, like in a date kind of way. And suddenly, Joshua was nervous. Sure, he'd taken her to exotic planet with strange meals and entertainment. But a simple customary Earth date seemed overwhelming. His confidence was always solid when he was fully Time Lord. Did being human really affect him that much?

Joshua took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked the same, mostly. His eyes seemed to be a bit lighter. The weight of the universe no longer sat on his shoulders. He poked and prodded at himself, feeling where the differences could be. For all outward appearances, he was the same man. He had all the same knowledge. For all intents and purposes, he was the same man. Now, if only he could believe it. Better, could he get Rose to believe it?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Joshua dressed in his black pinstriped suit with a blue tie. He was fidgeting in the living room when Rose stepped out. He sucked in a sharp breath, taking in her appearance. She was dressed in a knee length, TARDIS blue dress that matched beautifully with his tie. She wore matching flats. She had no jewelry on to speak of, and no makeup either. Joshua thought she looked stunning. Rose blushed when he mentioned how she looked. They eyed one another nervously for a moment before Joshua held out his hand. He wiggled his fingers, just like he had after his regeneration. Rose immediately took his hand and off they went.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose and Joshua ended up at a pizzeria. Joshua, in true Doctor style, had one piece of everything. He spent the entirety critiquing the pizzas while Rose laughed and joined in.

_Supreme pizza was out._

_Meat-lovers wasn't too bad._

_Ham and pineapple. That one was pretty good._

Rose enjoyed watching him eat. He hardly ever stopped to eat when she'd traveled with the Doctor but Joshua? He was excited to try new things. To taste new things. When he didn't like something, he'd spit it out and hang his tongue out and use a napkin to scrape the taste off. She'd giggle at him and tell him how silly he was being.

_Pepperoni was average._

_Cheese was dull._

_Chicken with white sauce wasn't bad at all._

_Spinach was ok. You had to watch out for the burnt pieces, though. Those were horrible._

He enjoyed watching her reactions. Sometimes he'd go overboard just to make her laugh. He knew he was being ridiculous but he loved to see her laugh. And when she smiled, so did he.

He couldn't decide which was his favorite. But it definitely wasn't the one with everything on it. He thought maybe he went to far asking for the anchovies. _Too much salt._ Next time he'd leave those off and see if the taste improved any.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The movie itself was average. With this being a new universe for him, it was something he hadn't seen before. The movie replayed the legend surrounding the death of Queen Victoria. The legend was exactly what they had lived through, minus them. The monarchy, Rose informed him, was a topic of curiosity for most people. Very similar to King Arthur in their home universe. That particular legend wasn't that big here, but the end of the monarchy definitely was.

They sat in the back of the theatre, away from most of the other patrons. They giggled and pointed, comparing what they knew had happened to what was depicted. Obviously, some details were different. Joshua felt that the comparisons made Rose feel even more like he was the Doctor. It put him more at ease.

He tensed and relaxed at the same time when Rose snuggled into his side. He struggled for a moment before laying his arm across her shoulders and pulling him tight against him.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They were both giddy by the time they arrived home. Sexual tension was crackling between them, but neither made a move on it. There was an unspoken agreement that they were not ready to go down that road yet.

Rose settled into Joshua's side again as they sat on the couch. They weren't watching anything on the telly. They were just basking in the closeness they'd reacquired since they were left here. For now, they were both content. Rose almost fell asleep. Joshua gently nudged her awake. They slowly made their way to their bedroom, Rose leaning heavily on Joshua. The weekend was upon them and with the exception of going to the mansion Sunday, they had no plans. So the weekend was devoted to acquainting Joshua with this new London.


	6. Torchwood

**Torchwood**

Monday morning was a big day for Rose and Joshua. They would be spending the day at Torchwood, getting his new identification together. Joshua wasn't looking forward to it but no amount of pouting or whining would change Rose's mind.

"Look, if you want to have a life here, this is what has to happen. You don't actually have to do anything with the information. I make enough money, plus what I know Pete is giving me, we're set for life. However, if you want to go and do anything, you have to have a past. Ever since the Cybermen, everyone has to be identified. We don't track people, although some extremist groups have suggested it. But still, better do it now than have to pay for not doing it later."

Joshua grudging assented to the fact that what she was saying made sense. He was no longer capable of just waving his psychic paper in someone's face to gain access. Even though, if he chose to work at Torchwood, his reputation preceded him, so he'd been told.

Over the weekend, he had emptied the pockets of his suit. Various items were thrown away. Others were stored. He was very pleased to find a sonic screwdriver in the mix. With that, he should be able to make his pockets a bit bigger. Rose's as well. He also found a psychic paper. Between him and Rose, they had two. Not that he couldn't make more if they needed it. He was dressed in his new brown pinstriped suit. For the first time since he got here, he felt more like himself. He pocketed the sonic and the psychic paper before following Rose out the door.

They headed to Torchwood with Joshua's packet at 8:00 am. Pete was meeting them and the three would be going in together. Instead of driving to Canary Wharf, like Joshua expected, Rose drove towards some warehouses nestled next to the Thames. They were stopped outside of the gates. Rose entered a code and had her thumb scanned. Immediately, the gate started rolling for them.

Pete met them in the center most building. As soon as Joshua walked through the doors, he had to stop. An overwhelming sense of another telepath assaulted his senses. Whatever it was, it was powerful. It also seemed he didn't have the ability to shield. Joshua closed his eyes and put his own shields up. When he opened his eyes, Pete and Rose were both looking at him concerned.

"Well, Pete, that was a bit rude of a hello." Pete looked confused for a moment, but realization seemed to dawn on him. He looked sheepish for a moment before explaining.

"That's Bob. We don't know what his real name is, but he's a child. We did manage to identify his species. We have a few telepaths that work with him daily but he doesn't seem to really take to the lessons. Be my guest, though. Rose knows where he is. She can take you there later if you want."

They continued on through the complex towards the elevators. Instead of going up, the elevators started downwards. They weren't in the elevator for long before it stopped.

Pete was the first to step out. He swept his arms wide and turned towards Joshua. "Doctor, welcome to Torchwood."

The complex extended for as far as Joshua could see. There were no cubicles. Instead, some islands of desks could be seen littering the area.

"Each of these island sections holds a team. We encounter several different types of aliens each week with most being friendly. Of course, we have had our share of alien invasions. That's where our elite teams come in." No sooner than Pete finished talking, Jake walked around the corner. He looked at Rose, then at Joshua.

"Doctor! Rose! How the hell are ya?" He clasped Joshua's hand and slapped his back.

"Jake. We're doing well, I think?" Joshua turned his head to Rose, almost as if asking if what he said was true. Sensing his insecurity, she stepped up to him and placed her arm around his waist. Joshua immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Jake smiled at the two of them before motioning for Joshua to join him.

"Doctor, if you'll come this way, I'm to take you to Ianto. He'll be the one processing your paperwork." He looked a bit apprehensive, so Rose squeezed him around the middle.

"You'll be fine. Jake has my number. He'll call me if you need anything, k?" Rose leaned up, kissing him on the side of his mouth. He instantly relaxed again. For some reason, her touch seemed to be especially comforting since he'd changed. Joshua reluctantly followed Jake while Rose looked after them until they walked out of sight.

"Rose, is it just me or does he seem a bit anxious. Even depressed?"

"He is, dad. He just lost everything. His home, his best friend. He was tossed aside, almost as if he wasn't a sentient being. It was cruel. Now he's having to adjust to a stationary life. Plus he has all these human hormones running through his system and he doesn't know what to do with them yet. So yeah, I'd say he's depressed."

"Well, hopefully we can offer him what he needs. If not, I'll help him find something. With my connections, he'll have several doors opened for him if he wants them."

"Thanks, dad. I appreciate it and I'm sure he does as well. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Pete led his daughter towards his office so they could talk.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Ianto, Joshua soon found, was the same Ianto he knew worked with Jack Harkness at Torchwood 3. He dressed just as sharply and still made a fantastic cuppa.

They sat for what seemed like hours, pouring over paperwork. Ianto was meticulous and single-minded, and Joshua soon found himself grudgingly dedicated to the task at hand. He figured that the sooner they got this over with, the sooner he could get back to Rose. Or at least go look at something more interesting.

The only redeeming part of the whole ordeal was Jake. He stayed with Joshua and talked and joked with him. Once Ianto was finished with the paperwork and had taken Joshua's picture for his ID and passport, he joined in to the conversation. More than once, neighboring departments would yell them to quiet down. Eventually, Jake and Ianto took Joshua on a trip through Torchwood. Nothing extensive, since he wasn't officially an employee, but they did make it a point to swing by Research and Development.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose followed Pete to his office. She'd worked with him long enough to know that if she was pulled aside, it was usually something serious. She just hoped it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

"Rose, I know you are still adjusting to this new life and everything but we really need you to come back. The Arcanian's have been threatening to sanction us while the Nazurians are threatening war. I need my top negotiator back. Maybe with you and the Doctor, Joshua, working together, you can get these nipped quickly."

"Why are they acting like this? We've had peaceful treaties with both for two years now."

"We think it's because of the dimension cannon. It was giving off some odd readings each time you used it. Apparently, those reading were recorded by both factions. Both are viewing this as an act of war. And because -"

"-Because Arcanian's are a trade-based culture, they will sanction us before they declare war. Alright. I'll see what I can accomplish with them today. Let me talk to them and smoothe things over. Then we can get together a team to take apart the cannon."

"Do you want anyone specific helping you with the cannon?"

"Jake and Marcus and Joshua, obviously. Probably Calvin as well, since he's head of R&D. That's five people total. We should be able to get it done in a day, easily."

"Well, I'll leave the negotiations in your capable hands. I'm off to shmooze the president. She has that benefit dinner next week. Don't worry, I've already told her you're still recuperating."

Rose snorted, looking at her father. Harriet Jones had become the president of Great Britain the year Rose arrived here. She was extremely skeptical of Rose and Jackie Tyler until they saved the world from an attack. While it wasn't the Slitheen or the Sycorax, it was still traumatic for the president. She had been kidnapped and it was a close call getting her back. Rose led Mickey and Jake through the ship, after they had used the short teleports to get on board. They'd saved her life and since then, Harriet took it upon herself to invite Rose to all functions in hopes of "getting her hitched". Rose was grateful not to attend this function.

"I appreciate it. I might still come and drag Joshua along. I'm sure she will back off once she sees I'm with someone, officially. Might ought to get some of the tabloids to get some pictures. That will take the edge off quite a few people." Pete grinned knowingly at his daughter.

"This is about Clyde, isn't it?"

"He's a good agent, Pete. But really, he needs to back off. I haven't been interested in him and will never be, but he seems to not get the point."

"Well, I may have come up with a solution to that. You know that Torchwood 3 is in need of a leader. I'm thinking of sending him out there."

"That might do him good. Gwen could use someone out there to reign Owen in. Unless you intend on sending a whole new team up there."

"I think just him for now."

"Alright, well, I'm heading to my office. I'll send after Jake, Joshua and Ianto. Hopefully they haven't gotten into too much trouble."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_Jake, bring Ianto and Joshua to my office._

Jake blinked at his cell phone, confused. Then it registered who Joshua was and he groaned. Joshua was currently in a deep argument with Calvin, the head of the R&D Department over the misuse of certain energy sources. Apparently, what Calvin had assumed was an inert piece of rock was actually a very potent source of energy and Calvin was about to smash it with a hammer. Not the most delicate way to break something apart but it worked. Or would have, if Joshua hadn't stopped him.

"Now look, I don't care who you are or what you think you know, but this bit of rock is completely inert. It does nothing! We've tried hooking it to every we could and still nothing. It was traded to us as an energy source but it's bunk!"

"No, really it isn't. You just don't know how to use it. Give me five minutes."

_Rosie, can we take a few minutes? Joshua and Calvin are currently in an argument. I want to see which one wins._

_The Doctor will, hands down. You have 10 minutes or I'll start this conference call without you._

_Okay._

Joshua sat down at a work table with the rock and hunched over it. Calvin sat across from him, watching intently.

_I think you're right, Rose. Calvin is watching what Joshua is doing very intently._

Joshua selected some wire. It was aluminum instead of copper, which is what Calvin had tried. Joshua then took his sonic out and began soldering. Calvin eyed the tool intently, trying to decipher what exactly it did.

_Doctor's got the sonic out._

_Be prepared to run!_

After soldering the wires, he switched settings. He delicately stimulated the rock. Before their eyes, the rock began to vibrate gently and it emanated soft light. Joshua grinned up at Calvin would was glowering. Secretly, he was beyond pleased. He clapped his hand three times, and the light went out. Joshua looked at Calvin who now had a smirk on his face.

"Doctor, if you find yourself working here, I'd be honored if you'd work with me." Joshua scrunched his face, a bit confused and a bit irritated.

"You mean all this was was a test?"

"Mostly. We have several of these that do work, you see. But this one refused. My team and I tried every which way but we couldn't get it to operate. I wouldn't have brought the hammer down, honestly. It's a bit too valuable for that. I would have eventually contacted those who gave it to us. But yes, seeing that you could fix it makes me admire you more than the stories Rose always spouted about you."

"Stories?" Jake and Ianto nodded but it was Calvin who answered.

"It was mostly Rose's stories. She only told them to those of us who worked on the cannon. She built you up in our minds and so far, you've lived up to what she said."

"Well, it's nice to know I measure up." Jake and Ianto snorted as Calvin howled with laughter. It took Joshua a moment to figure out why they were laughing so hard. He blushed but chuckled lightly at his innuendo. Finally, Jake calmed them all down.

"C'mon mate. Rose wanted us in her office about ten minutes ago. We'd better get going."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Joshua, Ianto and Jake walked into Rose's office only to find her in a heated debate. Ianto and Jake sat on the love seat in her office. Joshua was stuck at the door. There was his Rose, speaking in perfect Nazurian. He looked at Jake and Ianto but both seemed to be at ease. He caught Jake's eye and Jake nodded. Yes, this was normal for Rose. Joshua plopped down into a chair at her desk, frowning.

"_Yes, I am aware that you picked up some disturbing readings from our planet. No, we did not orchestrate the stars doing out."_

"_But you created the the readings, correct?"_

"_I...yes."_

"_Just after these readings started, the stars started going out."_

"_I'm not sure how close it was." _Joshua had heard enough. Regardless of what had or hadn't happened, he could usually bullshit his way through anything. He didn't normally use that phrasing but it was accurate at times. Joshua walked around Rose's desk and made his presence known to the Nazurian. He leaned against the back wall, smiling brightly. His eyes, however, were cold and calculating. He folded his arms across his chest and crossed his ankles. To anyone else, he would look relaxed but not to Rose.

"_Excuse me, but what exactly has you so disturbed over these readings?" _The Nazurian cocked his head to the side, considering Joshua. Before either could say anything else, Rose interrupted.

"_Gloa, this is my mate, Joshua. Joshua, Gloa."_ Joshua waved at Gloa.

"_Hello there. Now that we're properly introduced, why don't you tell us what's really going on?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, unless you took readings of a catastrophic scale, we wouldn't be here discussing this. It seems you are trying to find an explanation for what has happened and in doing so, you're accusing the people that stopped it."_

Gloa glared at Joshua for a moment. Joshua didn't blink, nor did he flinch.

"_You are not human."_

"_Besides the point. Now tell us what is really going on. Why are you planning on attacking us."_

"_You ask a lot of questions. Fine. We looked in your history. Humans have a very violent history. These readings we gathered are far more advanced that what we thought you were capable. We don't want you coming into space and attacking us."_

"_Ah. See, I used to have the same views about humans. Used to think they were a bunch of silly, stupid apes. However, in interaction, I have found there are many more that are kind-hearted than cruel. Besides, history has a tendency to paint us all in a bad light."_

"_And what is your history?"_

"_Maybe once we're closer, I'll talk. But my history for now is my own. Just be warned, I have much more experience than you will ever think. Don't threaten my home. Don't threaten the people I care about. The device that created those readings is being dismantled. Nothing of that caliber will be made again any time soon. I assume that with this done, you will no longer consider us a threat?"_

"_You will always be a threat, but this will be dropped for now. Next time, we won't give you warning."_

The screen went blank. Joshua continued to glare at it. Ianto and Jake exchanged looks and Rose stood in front of Joshua. She held out her hands, palms up. He grasped her hands gentle and brought her knuckles to his face. He brushed his lips across her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers. Jake cleared his throat and both Joshua and Rose jumped.

"Doctor, Rose, do we need to worry about them?" Joshua took a deep breath, he glanced at Rose. She nodded, the movement barely perceptible.

"Yeah. This was only an excuse. We've already been informed that next time they won't give us warning. They see the human race as a threat."

"Should we go ahead and go on alert?" Rose shook her head.

"Probably not yet. Although if we have any minor altercations with them we will. I think they were acting out of fear of the unknown. Some of those star systems that went out were close to them. They didn't know what was causing it so they wanted to blame someone. I'll talk to Pete and see what he wants to do."

"Right, well, my team's going to the pub tonight. You two want to join?" Rose looked at Joshua, eyebrow cocked. He shrugged and she smiled, making him smile in return.

"Yeah, Jake. I think I'm going to go home and change."


	7. The Pub

**The Pub**

By the time Joshua and Rose arrived, Jake and his team had procured a billiards table. They were already in the middle of a game, so Rose drug Joshua to the dance floor. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose then whispered.

"I haven't done this since the Blitz. Not properly anyway." Rose raised an eyebrow at him. He could feel her apprehension in the way her body tensed and knew that she was thinking about his time with Reinette. What a huge mistake that was. And worse, they both had suffered. He shook his head slightly.

"I danced, and I mean dancing, with Reinette, but my heart wasn't in it. The entire time I was thinking of you. I know I hurt you and I'm sorry for that. But, can we not talk about this now? I want us to have a good time." Rose pulled back and looked in his eyes. She saw the sincerity, and the bit of worry he was feeling. Since he'd come here, he was much more expressive. Not that his eyes hadn't always been expressive before, but he hid less than he used to. The boundaries and walls he kept up tumbled down and the weight of the Universe lifted from his shoulders. It was a much nicer look on him and she enjoyed how he opened up to her. So, she decided to drop the subject of Reinette for now. He was right, he was here with her and they intended to both have a good time, not rehash their past.

"After we got here, Mum was always dragging me to functions, trying to get me to get over you. At first I refused to dance but finally I gave in. It was either that or listen to her harp."

"I'm sorry that happened. I was a right git after you left. Poor Martha had to put up with me. Then again, she was besotted with me for the longest time."

"What changed?"

"The Year that Never Was. I don't...I'll tell you about it some time, but not now."

"Alright. You can tell me when you're ready."

They danced for a while, lost in each other's embrace. Eventually, they drifted back towards the table. Jake had ordered them each a drink. Rose was drinking a strawberry daiquiri while Joshua, to his delight, had a banana daiquiri.

The men of the group started another game while the women started talking. They had all been a part of Rose and Mickey's team so they knew all the stories. They mostly gossiped, each keeping the conversation well away from work. Well, with the exception of Joshua, they kept everything from work. Mostly, they spent the time catching Rose up on what had been going on in their lives.

A couple of hours passed and Rose found herself needing to step to the restroom. She walked away, unknown to Joshua. When he noticed her missing, he was almost in a panic but the girls reassured him that she was fine and would be right back. He believed them until he heard her scream. Joshua and the team immediately went into action. There, on the dance floor, was a very large and stocky bloke who had his hands around Rose's wrists. He was attempting to drag her across the floor but she was struggling. She kicked at his knee and he stumbled, which gave Joshua enough time to reach her. Instead of grabbing for her like she thought he would, he reared back and punched the man in the nose.

The man, of course, didn't fall unconscious. Joshua was human now, after all. It did make the man pause which gave Jake and Ryan enough time to sweep the man's legs from underneath him. Lucy, Kamille and Jennifer bundled Rose off while Jake, Ryan and Joshua kept the man to the floor. A bouncer for the pub finally made his way through the thick crowd. He grabbed the man and maneuvered him by the back of his neck and out the pub.

They regrouped by the billiards table. Joshua immediately went to Rose. She seemed fine, if a bit frazzled. Mostly she was angry. Joshua noticed bruises already forming around her wrists. He brought her wrists up and laid gentle kisses on the bruises.

"Jake, it was a great night, for the most part, but I think we'll go ahead and turn in. That alright with you, Rose?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm expected to be at work tomorrow. So's this lot, to be honest. But after that, I just want to leave."

Hand-in-hand, Joshua and Rose walked out of the pub. The bouncer who had led Rose's attacker out, followed them to their car. Jake and Ryan walked the other ladies of the team out as well. Everyone was on guard.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The drive home was mostly in silence. Even though he hadn't gotten his official papers yet, Joshua opted to drive. Rose was thankful. She knew she could have fought the man off more, and that's what made her the most angry at herself. But she didn't want Joshua, the Doctor, to see her at her most violent and ruthless. That was a part of herself that she was ashamed of.

Once they were inside, Rose immediately retreated to their room. Joshua was lost, angry and very confused. He wanted more than anything to follow her, but was afraid she'd reject him. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what he should do.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When Rose finally emerged, she was greeted with the smell of food. She had taken the time to shower and change and felt much more like herself. When she finally got to their little kitchenette, she was greeted to the sight of Joshua filling up plates with pasta. While she'd ran away from him, he'd decided to do something to help her. Her chest welled up with love for this man.

She made her way to him and wrapped her arms around him in a backwards hug. He rested his hands on top of hers before twisting in her arms to face her. He wrapped his arms around her and they stood there for several moments, savoring one another. Finally she stepped back and smiled up at him a touch of embarrassment on her face.

"Sorry for running away earlier." Joshua kissed her gently on her forehead.

"It's alright, Rose. Can't tell you how many times I've done the same thing. But that's neither here nor there. I forgive you, will always forgive you. Now come on. Let's sit down to eat."


	8. Welcome to Torchwood

**Welcome to Torchwood**

Tuesday found Rose and Joshua at Torchwood. Rose still had to talk to the Arcadians. While the Earth ddn't depend on the trade, it was nice to get a few things she missed from traveling in the TARDIS.

Joshua had his own negotiations this morning. He made his way towards Pete's office. Or he would have, if he knew the way. He hadn't wandered far, though, before Jake met up with him.

"Jake! Can you help me out?"

"Wacha need, Doc?" Joshua cringed at the nickname.

"Don't...don't call me that. Listen, could you point me in the direction of Pete's office?"

"I'm headed there myself, mate. You made a decision yet?"

"I...yeah. I'm going to for now There isn't much I can do right now. And honestly, I don't want to let Rose out of my sight."

"Still adjusting?"

"We both are."

"Anything I can do to help?" Joshua smiled at his friend. His only friend, really.

"Not really. This is something we have to figure out on our own."

"Fair enough. But really, if you do need something, let me know."

They walked towards Pete's office, sharing stories of their escapades since the last time they'd seen each other. It had been four years for Jake and two (technically three) for Joshua. Two years and a change of species. His life was exceptionally weird.

They entered Pete's office without knocking. Neither seemed perturbed by the withering look Pete gave them.

"You know, I could have been busy." Jake snorted as he and Joshua plopped down into chairs.

"Please, if you were busy, you wouldn't be in your office."

"True enough. Well, what bring both of you two my office?" Joshua fidgeted for a moment before answering.

"I came to tell you that I made my decision."

"Oh?"

"For now, I think, I'll work here. I may eventually change my mind. But I see what you've done here and I like it. I want to be a part of it."

"That's great. Rose did explain that we do a full physical, right?" At Joshua's confused look, Pete sighed.

"Umm, well, no, she didn't tell me. What will this all entail?"

"A physical, stress test, a psychological, and a psychic test."

"That's...wow." Pete let Joshua process everything for a moment before he continued.

"The physical is just your basic physical. The stress test monitors your responses to a variety of different stressful situations, including physical exertion. The psychological is exactly how it sounds. After I rebuilt Torchwood, I wanted people that were of decently sound mind. Having an imagination and an ability to be flexible and cope to new situations was also key. So we screen for that. The Torchwood here is known worldwide. We have branches in almost every country. We don't just deal with Great Britain like the other Torchwood did. Anything we do is for the benefit of the entire world. Lastly is the psychic. I only used that term because it's what most people know. We specifically test telepathy. Nothing too invasive, but we do want to see, on our more talented staff, that they can erect barriers quickly."

"I don't...I don't want someone strange in my head."

"Well, how about this. Get through the other tests and we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Pete smiled reassuringly at Joshua before nodding towards Jake.

"You think you can handle taking him around the facility today, Jake?"

"Oh, I think I can cope with it."

"Alright. Just, make sure to swing by before you leave."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The day passed quickly for Joshua. The physical was just what he expected. There were a few scans he wasn't expecting, but after they were explained, he conceded. It would be nice to see on paper what he did and did not have compared to the Time Lord.

The stress test was not anything like he expected. Diodes were attached to him, but there were no wires hanging off of him. He was first placed in a virtual reality type helmet, which went through scenarios. The diodes measured his physical reactions. He also wore the diodes through a short obstacle course.

The psychological was a bit worrisome. The woman conducting it would raise her eyebrow at every few questions. He knew, well before the end, that she viewed him as clinically insane. Most who had to deal with him thought that. In the other Universe, he was certifiable on at least thirty planets, not mentioning his home world.

Finally, it became time for the psychic test. He was placed in a room that looked very similar to an interrogation room. And he waited. The longer he waited, the more nervous he became. Finally, the door across from him opened. He held his breath but let it out quickly when it was Rose who walked through the door. She smiled at him before taking the seat across from him.

"What..what are you doing here, Rose?"

"I'm the one testing you." Joshua looked confused, so she pressed on. "After the Game Station, I noticed it. I'd practice with the TARDIS for hours on end. I was afraid to bring it up to you and she promised me she wouldn't. Then we were separated. At first, it was difficult being here without having the TARDIS in my head. I finally began to cope, when we welcomed out first openly telepathic race here for asylum. They are actually the ones who normally do these tests but after your concern earlier, Pete asked me if I would do it."

"I...that was very thoughtful of him. So, how are we going to do this?"

"Well, you're a touch telepath, so let's start with that." Before Joshua could nod or draw in a breath, Rose grabbed his hands tightly in her own.

"Now, the point of this is to try and keep me out. I'll start slow then work my way up. Then we'll switch and you'll try to get into my mind. Ready?" Joshua nodded, and Rose began.

The touches were fleeting at first. Almost as if she were testing the waters. She quickly fell into a rhythm, bombarding his mind. He quickly threw up shields. Since his world was gone, he hadn't kept up with his telepathy as much as he should have. That was the biggest reason that Reinette was able to get into his mind so easily.

And he wanted to let Rose into his mind, so badly. Not that he wanted her to see everything. He had many skeletons in his closet. But the intimacy that could be shared through this joining was...brilliant.

Rose's onslaught on his mind slowed, then stopped. She stayed, just on the edges of his mind. He could feel contentment rolling off her in waves and knew she felt about this the same way he did. It took him a moment to realize that she was waiting for him to start his assault.

He started tentatively, just as she had. He was quickly convinced that she did know what she was doing and he doubled his assault. He slammed into her barriers, trying to find a weakness. She, surprisingly, didn't seem to have any. He lost track of time, but finally, he tired. Her defenses were better than his, if he were honest.

They hovered for a moment, on the edges of one another's mind. Finally, though, Rose broke contact. Joshua almost whimpered in response.

"C'mon, love. It's lunch time. After that, we'll go take a look at the cannon." Joshua could only nod, his head still spinning from the contact of her mind to his.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They grabbed something from the cafeteria and ate in Rose's office. Jake joined them after a few moments. Calvin, the head of the R&D Department also joined them.

"Alright, here's the plan. Jake, you and Ryan will have anything that isn't actually tacked on. That includes mirrors and wires that are plugged in. Joshua, I want you to break the solder on all the pieces so we can take it apart carefully. Calvin, your team can take everything down to the Vault. I'll catalog as we go. We probably won't get this all finished today but I want the more delicate parts cataloged and put away. Everyone understand?"

Everyone nodded around the room. Joshua stood, taking his sonic out of his pocket and twirling it between his fingers. He waggled his eyebrows at Rose and shot her a cheeky grin.

"Alright. Let's get this finished."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They didn't get it finished that first day, mostly because Joshua was awed by the contraption. He kept asking questions on how things worked. He was amazed that they could come up with this. He was even more amazed that it was Rose who'd initially thought of it.

"Well, I did the best I could. I got to thinking about vortex manipulators. We aren't able to craft anything like that but we could mesh the idea of the TARDIS and a manipulator. It took us a while to get it to work. It took even longer for me to find you. Any you."

"What did you use for a focus?" Rose held up a chain with a key dangling from it.

"My TARDIS key."

"Oh, that's brilliant."

Finally, 5:00pm rolled around and every started packing their things away. It was time to go home. For Joshua, it had been a long, informative, and exhausting day. It had also been very, very exciting. He wanted nothing more than to go home and see if Rose would let him into her head for real.


	9. Realizations

**Realizations**

Joshua thought about their telepathic encounter all the way home. Never in a million years did he think his Rose could do that. It made him anxious for, and almost afraid, of doing more with her. At the same time, he realized that he craved that connection. Without the TARDIS, his mind was starving. He'd been able to ignore it to a point but now, knowing that Rose would be able to connect with him like that, he wanted it more than anything. He finally decided to break the silence.

"Rose, we need to talk about this. I don't...I mean...I don't want to fight over it, but there may be much more going on than you think. And I just, I want you to be okay. So please?"

Rose back went rigid when he started talking. She didn't want to talk about this, about any of it, really. It was still too painful for her. But she pursed her lips and nodded, once. Joshua could feel the tension in the air.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Joshua used his key to let them in. Rose rushed through the door, keeping her distance from Joshua. He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"I'm going to go dress down." Rose left him standing in the room. He nodded, knowing she couldn't see him. He knew he had upset her, but he didn't realize how upset she would be. He went to their room and retrieved some clothes and went to change as well. When he was done, he could hear her making tea. He smiled. She was so much like her mother. Tea fixed everything.

He walked into their little kitchen and stood back, watching her. Her back was rigid. He stepped up, and lightly placed her hands on her shoulder. She stilled. He gently started working on her shoulders and he felt her relax into his touch.

_'I don't want to fight. But I do have concerns. We promised we would talk once we got here. And if I know either of us, we will put it off.'_

He turned her around to look at him. She looked near tears. He cupped her face with his right hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Okay. I'm ready to talk. What do you want to know?" She still looked apprehensive, but Joshua relaxed.

"I want to know everything about what you can do. Telepathy of that caliber is unheard of in a human. And I know you know something. I can see it in your eyes. Please, love, tell me."

"And you, will you share everything with me?" Rose's eyes were like fire as they bore into him. He almost flinched at their intensity, but he held his ground. He nodded, almost reluctantly. She pursed her lips together and nodded. Rose took his hand and led him to the living room. He sat on the couch. Joshua fully expected Rose to join him but instead she sat in between his legs on the floor, facing away. He placed his hands gently at her temples. That contact wasn't exactly needed, but it help his concentration. He startled when he felt Rose's mind brush against his.

'_You did this with Reinette.'_

'_I did. And she went into my mind without my knowledge or consent. It's a violation, of sorts, to do that.'_

'_You never told me that. I just knew you were upset when she was gone.'_

'_Of course I was. I don't take death lightly. And she was a brilliant woman, but I didn't mourn her because I loved her. I didn't….I didn't tell you because I'm an idiot. I thought at the time that pushing you away would make the pain of losing you hurt less. I wanted to distance myself. All I did was cause both of us time. I should have acted a long time ago.'_

She smiled weakly at him.

"If there's any thing you don't want me to see, imagine a door and I won't look."

She nodded and closed her eyes. His mind nudged hers gently, asking for permission. She nodded and he entered her mind. He expected chaos, like most humans. What he found, was the TARDIS console room.

_'Well, this is new.'_

_'Thought you would like that. It keeps things organized.'_

She grabbed his hand and he looked down, surprised.

_'This is a bit advanced. I'm honestly impressed. How long has your mind been like this?'_

'_Since Bad Wolf. It wasn't long after that that I realized I had been changed.'_

'_You remember that?'_

'_Bits and pieces. But for the most part, yes. Although I didn't really start remembering details until I came here.'_

'_Do you…..do you remember how I took it out of you?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_Oh'_

Appearing at the back part of the room, opposite the doors that represented the way out of her mind, there were three doors. The first, TARDIS blue. The second was solid black. The last was gold.

'_Blue is for hope. These are my good memories. Black is despair. These are my bad. I'm not sure what the gold is for, but I can speculate. I've never actually seen the door before now.'_

'_But I took it out of you.'_

'_Apparently not. Shall we look behind it?'_

He looked at her, fear etched on his face. She took his hand and smiled. She reached for the door handle and turned. And they stepped through.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Inside the door, he noticed he had stepped into a shack. In the middle sat a box. He stepped back, fear and worry on his face. Rose still had his hand. But in front of him, sitting on the box, was also Rose.

'_Hello, Doctor.'_

'_Umm, hello?'_

'_You don't remember this, which is alright. I'll allow you to remember it now. I am the Bad Wolf, as you had guessed. But there is more to the story than even you know.' _ She stepped up to him and placed her hands on his temples. And he remembered.

His knees buckled and he looked at the two Rose's with awe, excitement, and a touch of fear etched on his face.

'_This is what happened in your Time Line. We ended the Time War, Doctor. But not as you remembered. There is a another Time Line, which may or may not happen. Those events are still in flux.'_

'_What happens?'_

'_I can't tell you. Fore knowledge is dangerous, as you well know.'_

Joshua nods.

'_Is it a good ending?'_

'_It can be. Time is still in Flux around those events. It has happened, is happening, will happen. But you cannot know the outcome until the very end.'_

He nods again.

'_Do not ever doubt who you are. Mind and body, you are the Doctor. More importantly, you are her Doctor.'_

'_Are you….are you what has been changing Rose?'_

'_She chose her fate, Doctor. There are many more changes ahead for you both. Some you will not like. And most of this you aren't allowed to remember, not until the end. But know this, you are loved, and by no one more than Rose Tyler.'_

'_But she will be happy?'_

'_So long as she has you, Doctor, she will be happy.'_

He nodded as he took Rose's hand again. She had been strangely silent through the entire encounter and he looked at her. There were tear stains down her cheeks.

'_I knew she was still there. She had to be for me to go unharmed through the Dimensions. But I'm afraid of what that means for us.'_

'_For now, it means nothing. Because if this entire experience with you has taught me anything, Rose Tyler, it's that we can't take our time for granted. We need to embrace it and live for the moment.'_

He kissed her. This wasn't chaste, like most of their kisses. He withdrew from her mind to find myself kissing her, him bent down and her head thrown back.

'_Before…..before we go any further, I need to show you something, Rose.'_

'_What, love? If it's too painful, it can wait.'_

'_No, it can't. If we….I need you to see all of me, the worst of me, before we go on. Please.'_

She was suddenly pulled into his mind. Unlike hers, it wasn't tidy. She had expected it to be. What she saw, was them standing in the middle of a hurricane.

'_It used to be neater. But then the Time War happened. It tore every one of us apart. Realities were bent. Time Lines crushed. Between the Daleks and the Time Lords, there was no real distinction. We had become like them in our hate and rage. And we destroyed Time just as ruthlessly as they did. And because of this, my mind is, cluttered. I went a bit mad, right after the War.'_

Flashes of the War tore across the surface. He stood frozen, watching her reactions. She never broke down and cried, but he could see tears on her cheeks.

'_But this….this is my mind. It's always been a bit busy, a bit cluttered. This storm was created as a result of the scars of the War. After the War, I drifted. I refused to travel. Refused to do anything, really. The TARDIS tried to help but she was just as torn up and scarred as I was. Finally, she did the only thing she could think of, she dumped me on a friend's doorstep and refused to open again until I had pulled myself together. It took a couple of months. But Alistair had been in War as well. He knew what I was going through, to an extent. He helped heal me enough to where I could travel again, to do good.'_

He took a deep breath, collecting himself.

'_My first adventure was London. Nestene Conscious. I hadn't planned on meeting anyone. I wanted to stick to the shadows as much as possible and just do the job. But then I heard a scream. Little did I know that it belonged to the ray of sunshine that would brighten my dim world.'_

Around them, the storm had quieted.

'_It didn't take long for you to whittle down my defenses. And soon, I couldn't think of a life without you. But I was a coward. I drew a line, because I knew I would end up getting hurt. I tried to push you away. I was so stupid. Because when you were ripped from me, the storm was worse than ever. I didn't get a chance to mourn. I flung myself head long into danger. I think, I think there was a part of me that wanted it to end. I was careless, in my adventures.'_

She looked at him, concern across her face. He was lost in the memories. She squeezed his hand, and he broke out of his trance.

'_I had to….to let you see the worst of me. My emotions are all over the place. You know that. But you. You drive the darkness away.'_

Rose chose that moment to envelope his mind. She let her love and hope and passion envelope him. He kissed her again, desperately, and they were flung from his mind.

She broke from the kiss first. He tried to lean in again but she put her hand up, stopping him. He was hurt and confused. She stood up and turned around, reaching for his hands. She pulled him up and started towards their bedroom. It finally dawned on him what her intentions were and he pounced. He kissed her, frantically, pushing her up against the door.


	10. Alone At Last

**Alone At Last**

He had her back up against the door, kissing her. Hands up against her face; one trailing up into her hair. He grabbed her hair gently and leaned her head to one side. He trailed kisses down her neck. When he got to her shoulder, he licked back up to her ear. He bit and sucked on her ear lobe, and she moaned. He licked the outer shell of her ear and trailed his other hand down her body. His hand caught the door knob. The door opened at they tumbled through, never losing contact. He took a deep breath and shuddered. He wasn't fully Time Lord, but he could smell her want, her arousal. And it was all for him. He gently led her to the bed, not stopping his ministrations. Her knees hit the bed and they both fell, him landing on her, but he was careful not to fall completely on top of her. He stopped what he had been doing, looking at her. Pleading for permission to go further.

_'Don't stop.'_

He growled into her ear and she gasped.

_'Are you sure?'_

_'Yes!'_

That was all the encouragement he needed. His hand started teasing her nipple as his mouth started down her neck. He bit and licked and teased. He lifted her shirt up over her head and turned her onto her stomach. He bit the back of her neck gently, and tugged at her pajama bottoms. He placed kisses and soft bites down her back as he slid both her pajamas and her knickers down her legs. She shivered slightly. He placed kisses on the bottoms of her feet, her ankles, her calves. When he got back to her thighs, he nudged for her to spread her legs. When she did, he gently bit and kissed the insides of both thighs, keeping well away from her center. She moaned.

He bit her left cheek, then her right, eliciting another moan from her. He crawled back up her body, kissing and biting as he went. He turned her over. She made to try and rid him of his clothes but he grabbed her hands before she could and pinned them above her head.

_'No, love. This, this is all for you. For all the times that I should've but was too scared to.'_

He kissed her as he let go of her arms. She raked her fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp lightly. He growled into her mouth, which made her moan in return. He broke from the kiss and started on her neck. He bit down, and she screamed, but not from pain. Her smell hit him again. He chuckled and licked and kissed the spot where he'd marked her.

_'Mine.'_

_'Yours.'_

He moved to her left breast and bit just above her heart. She bucked up underneath him and he held her down. He was drowning in her want.

_'Mine.'_

_'Yours.'_

He had marked her, like he would have a mate of his own kind and she responded. Their minds flared for a moment. They were one being, soaring through the skies. Her want magnified his own and created an unending loop. When he was aware of himself again, she was on top, repeating the motions. First his neck. She bit, and he bucked just as she had. She growled at him.

_'Mine.'_

_'Yours.'_

And again, above his single heart.

_'Mine.'_

_'Yours.'_

Their minds flared again and they could feel one another. The lust and love that the other felt was again magnified in their minds. Rose was almost overwhelmed. He took that moment of hesitancy and flipped them back over.

_'I wasn't done with you.'_

She purred at him. He looked at her eyes as he made his way down her body. He nudged her legs apart and kissed her thigh. He looked at her from between her thighs and she moaned, arching herself up slightly.

_'Tell me.'_

_'Please, please, Joshua. I want you.'_ She was looking directly at him, eyes dark. He chuckled and kissed her other thigh. She whimpered slightly and he stopped hesitating. He kissed her center, barely, just enough to where she knew he had. She gasped. He slowly licked up one side, lingering at her peak, then down the other. She shuddered underneath his touch.

_'You taste wonderful.'_

He licked his way back up to her peak and without warning, slid two fingers inside her. She screamed, arching her back. He found a rhythm and quickly had her writhing.

_'Beautiful woman. Scream for me.'_

He placed a third finger in her and bit her clit gently. She came undone, bucking and screaming and he stayed latched on until she was spent. He sat back on his feet and looked at her, licking her off his fingers. Her mind hummed in the back of his, content.

She opened her eyes to look at him while he was sliding his fingers out of his mouth. Faster than he thought possible, he found himself on his back, her straddling his waist. He looked at her and his eyes widened. Her eyes were wild with lust. She bent down towards his ear and purred.

"This is for you. For all the times I wanted, but thought you would run away."

She kissed down his body. When her breasts passed over his erection, he moaned. She chuckled up at him and grasped his pajamas. She pulled down and nipped at his hip bone. He gasped. She licked and sucked where she'd bitten then moved to the other side and repeated the action. She slid his bottoms down his legs, nipping and kissing and she went. On her way back up, she nudged his legs apart. He moved them slightly. She shook her head and threw his legs further apart. His feet ended up on opposite sides, falling off the bed. She placed a small bite in between his legs, behind his balls, on the little bit of flesh. He screamed bucked up, fisting his hands into the sheets. She licked up his balls, taking one, then the other in her mouth. As he was, he was just a bit too big for her to fit it all into her mouth. She licked up his shaft and he let out a shuddering breath. She swirled her tongue around his tip then took him in. He was large, and she was out of practice. She gagged when he hit the back but she tried to relax. She grasped his base and he thought he was on fire. His breath quickened.

_'Please, I don't want to finish like this.'_

She looked up at him.

_'How do you want to finish, then?'_

She was back at his tip. She flicked her tongue on the underside of his head. He moaned again.

_'I want inside of you, please.'_

She let go of him with her mouth and crawled back up his body. She reached his mouth with her own and kissed him. He tried to devour her mouth and she his. He grabbed her hips, positioned her and slid into her. She gasped and he stopped, allowing her to adjust.

_'There's been no one since I met you. Since Run.'_

_'Oh, love, no one for me. Not for centuries.'_

She moaned into his mouth and started moving. He teased her neck and her breasts but really wanted them in his mouth. He stopped her motions and slid up the bed, bringing her with him. Sitting up, he found he could reach her easily. She moved and twisted and he bit and licked. She had her hands on the headboard, using it to twist against him. He took a peak into his mouth and swirled his tongue. He teased with his teeth and tongue. He could feel her getting close. He grabbed her hip with one hand and placed the other between them. He found her clit and started small, circular flicks. He felt her losing rhythm and he sucked her bud into his mouth, biting slightly. She came undone on top of him and he lost himself as well. She screamed and he moaned against her breast as he came. But he stayed latched on until they were both spent and she collapsed against him.

_'I feel like jello.'_

He chuckled at her.

_'Me too, love.'_

They stayed like that for several minutes until he was finally able to maneuver her off of him. He scooted them both down and held her in his arms, their limbs twined together. Her breathing slowed as she calmed down.

_'No one has ever gotten me to go more than once.'_

_'Well, I'm glad I could be the first.'_

He tightened his hold, hugging her gently.

_'We need to get cleaned up.'_

_'You first. I want to lay here and enjoy the glow for a bit longer.'_

He chuckled at her and got up. He leaned in for a kiss. It was long and lingering and almost had her panting when he was done.

_'For later.' _He grinned as he went to the en suite. She lay back against the bed and closed her eyes.

_'That was fantastic'_ were the last words she thought before she drifted to sleep.


	11. Retaliations

**Retaliations**

Rose woke, like she had most mornings since they'd gotten back, encased in Joshua's arms. She snuggled back into him and realized a couple of things at once. First off, she was very, very naked with a pleasant ache between her legs. Secondly, he was also naked, his morning erection rubbing against her bum and lower back. She stilled, gauging how awake her companion was. He grunted and pulled her closer, nuzzling his face into her back.

She closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting to break his embrace but also knowing they were expected at Torchwood. She followed the thin line of their bond and brushed against his mind.

_'Wake up.'_

_'Don't wanna.'_

_'Neither do I, but we need to start heading towards Torchwood.'_

Joshua groaned before yawning loudly and stretching like a cat. Well, partially at least. One of his arms was still trapped beneath her. He wrapped her in his arms again and whispered in her ear.

"Good morning, beautiful." Rose smiled.

"As much as I am enjoying laying here with you like this, we really do need to get out of bed." Joshua sighed and flopped over on his side of the bed, allowing Rose to get up. She walked to her dresser, completely starkers, and Joshua groaned. It was difficult enough to want to get out of bed without her giving him such a pleasant view. He almost begged her to come back to bed but she stepped into the en suite before he could.

"Note to self: The bond makes for a very, very randy Time Lord." He huffed as he fell back onto the bed. He had to take a moment to compose himself.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They managed to make it to Torchwood without falling back into bed together. It was difficult to get his mind on the task of working, especially with the bond so new. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. They had to finish taking apart the dimension cannon today.

They made it about halfway through the day before disaster struck. They were all sitting in the Torchwood cafeteria, when they felt the ground shake. The four of them, Jake, Ryan, Rose, and Joshua, exchanged glances before immediately getting up. They left their food on the table. Before they had taken more than two steps, Rose had dialed Pete. Joshua could only here half of the conversation, but what he did hear had his stomach dropping.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?" A pause while she listened.

"No, I had everything smoothed over Monday. They seemed vaguely threatening but I told you about that." Another pause. Jake and Ryan exchanged glances before they started heading down the corridor. It took half a second before Rose and Joshua tore off after them.

The locker room was already half full when they entered. Rose, Jake and Ryan went towards adjoining lockers. Joshua hadn't been assigned a locker or equipment yet. He frowned when he saw the three of them strap guns to their hips.

"Safety check. Stuns on?" The entire room replied.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. We're not sure what the objective will be. Keep radio silence until me, Jake or Pete inform you of what to do. You know your assigned stations. Let's move!" She tossed a flak jacket towards Joshua as well as a headset. She started talking as they ran down the corridors. Joshua had no clue where they were going, but she apparently did.

"No gun for you. I know how you cringe at the sight of them. Do me a favor and stay by someone who can protect you, just in case. These guys are worse than Sontarans in their ruthlessness, but easier to kill, if it comes to that. We set our blasters to stun and they stay that way until we find we gave to become lethal. Pete and I are the only ones who can authorize that. The only way that can be overridden is if we are both captured, killed, or otherwise incapacitated."

"And how often does that happen?"

"Never, actually. But we have a system designed so one of us is in a safe place, just in case." Before he could answer, they rounded a corner and almost ran headlong into Jackie and Tony.

"Mum! What are you doing here?"

"We were having lunch with Pete! Then this all started and he told me to head towards the shelter with Tony."

"Well, where is he?"

"He opened negotiations with those bleedin' Nazurians. I told you both it was a bad idea to try to have a treaty with them."

"Mum, it was either a treaty at the time or all out open war that we couldn't afford." Rose whipped her head towards Pete's office, which is where she was headed, then back the way they came. Indecision warred on her face. So, Joshua did the only thing he could. He let his instincts kick in. He turned Rose so she could look him directly in the face.

"Rose, take your Mum to the shelter. I'll go up and help Pete. Maybe between the two of us we can stop this."

"But this is my job. My life."

"You know this is also my job, but you're my life. Please, just, get your mother to safety. If you feel the need to head back this way then fine, but get her to safety first. Please, love." Rose could see the fear and determination on Joshua's face and a little bit of the storm she knew resided there. She nodded, then kissed him.

_'Come back to me safely, my love.'_

Rose picked up Tony and grabbed Jackie's hand.

"Run!" Joshua watched as they ran down the hallway and to what he hoped was safety. He took a deep breath, centering himself. When he started moving again, it was with the single-mindedness of the Doctor. He could and would fix this.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When he reached Pete's office, he found the man staring at a blank screen. He barely even acknowledged Joshua's presence. A sense of dread had fallen over him.

"Are Jackie and Tony safe?"

"Rose took them down to the shelter."

"Good. They're talking all-out war. They won't talk to me and they won't negotiate. And short of blowing them out of the sky, I don't know what to do."

"Well, leave that option open, but let me try something first. Do you have any of those teleports you used to jump between worlds?"

"I do. I also have some of the smaller prototypes. They've been tested at short ranges. Why?"

"Well, I'm going to fiddle with them, then me and a couple of select people will teleport to the ship. As soon as we're gone, I want you to head down to the shelter. In case, if something happens, do not hesitate to do what you need to do."

"Who do you want up here?"

"Jake's team. And Rose. Who is the tech-savvy person on the team?"

"That would be Kamille. She can hack into anything."

"Great. Leave whatever program you need to running. She's going to stay down here. If something happens, she'll be the one to pull the trigger." Pete looked at Joshua, really seeing him for the first time. Of course, he looked and sounded like the Doctor. But this was the first time he'd really acted like it. Up until now he had been tentative, if not a bit shy. Pete realized that this was his element, where he was the most useful.

"Doctor, I know you don't normally use a weapon."

"Don't, Pete. I'm not changing those morals now. There will be several people around me with weapons. But I'm not taking one." Joshua sat and started fiddling with the teleports. Pete made the call over the headsets for Jake's team and Rose to come to his office. He looked one last time at Joshua, before clasping him on the shoulders.

"You had better get yourselves back in one piece. Everyone, including yourself. That understood?" Joshua looked up at Pete for a moment. The other man's eyes radiated a paternal concern that felt odd to Joshua. He nodded once before getting back to his work. He barely registered Pete leaving the room.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Jake's team and Rose all burst into the room at the same time. Joshua didn't look up from his work, even when Rose came up behind to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Jake is the one who broke the silence.

"Wacha working on, Doc?"

"Teleports." One of the females in the group, Jennifer, he thought, was the next to talk.

"Are we teleporting to the ship?"

"Weelll-" He drew out the word, as was his habit. This made Rose and Jake both smile. "-most of us are. Kamille, you're good with computers, right?"

"So I've been told."

"You're staying here. Pete has a program running. If I give the word, use it. Whether we are back safely or not. That understood?" Kamille snuck a glance at Rose, then Jake. Both nodded their heads at her.

"Alright Doctor." Joshua stood up, grinning manically. He tossed each of the group the modified teleports as Kamille went to stand behind Pete's desk. He grasped Rose's hand, and looked at the rest of the group.

"Coordinates have already been programmed." And pushed his button. He and Rose disappeared and were quickly followed by the rest of the group. Kamille looked at the empty area where her team had just stood.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing, Doctor."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When they materialized, he expected to be in a cargo hold of some sort. Instead, they found themselves on the bridge of the ship. Everyone, Nazurians and humans both, were stunned for a moment before going into action. The team went into a protective circle around Joshua. The Nazurians, to his astonishment, only seemed to be brandishing spears. The leader growled at them, his guttural language grating on everyone's nerves.

"You bring weapons on my ship!" Joshua cocked his head to the side before stepping outside of the circle. He had a slight hop to his step. He was brimming with energy. More so than he remembered as a Time Lord.

"Well, technically, it's you who brought weapons to my home. We're just defending. Tell me, why exactly did you decide to attack? I mean, I thought we had an understanding the other day when we talked."

"No truce between our peoples. You are like a virus, plaguing the planet you live on. We've decided we will rid the planet of you pests and take what we need from it."

"So, basically, you're not any different than we are. At least we make an effort to grow back some of what we destroy."

"Silence! I will destroy all of your, starting with you." Gloa brandished his spear, and crouched. It was an aggressive stance that Rose had seen before. Joshua didn't seem to see it, because he kept standing there. Rose was about to open her mouth when Gloa lunged. Joshua side-stepped it easily and it looked like he slapped Gloa on the back. Gloa disappeared, and silence fell across the ship.

"Now, you're leader has disappeared. You have one chance to leave this planet. If not, I will personally destroy your ship, and Gloa. You may not care one iota about him, but consider your own lives. It's your call." Joshua stepped back to Rose. Simultaneously, they all pressed their teleports and disappeared.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Joshua and crew reappeared in Pete's office. Before them, stunned and on the ground, was Gloa. Kamille still had her blaster trained on him. She spooked and almost shot at the team when they appeared.

"Some warning next time!"

Joshua gave her a slightly sheepish look before turning his attention to the fallen Nazurian. Getting him separated was relatively easy. Now, he hoped that the ship and crew would take the hint and leave.

"Jake, Ryan, get him behind some sort of bars. Make sure to check him really well for weapons, teleports, and other objects. Leave that one on his back. It's been modified to act as a sort of block from any outside teleportation attempts." The team sprung into action. While Jake and Ryan moved Gloa, Rose called Pete. It only took him a few minutes before he was back in the office. Kamille looked at him proudly.

"Hey boss! They left our airpspace about 5 minutes ago."

"Great. We'll need to be prepared for a counter attack. It won't be soon, but it will probably happen. They'll just come better prepared next time. Rose, you and Joshua go and help your mother. Kamille, alert the other Torchwoods, planet wide. We're going on alert. Any suspicious space activity is to be reported at once. I'll call the president."

"Is Mum okay?"

"She fine. Takes more than an alien invasion to rattle her now. But she is playing mother hen. You know how she is. Just, escort her home, please?" Rose nodded. She and Joshua left, Pete looking at where they had been long after they departed.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose and Joshua managed to convince Jackie to leave quite quickly. That might have also been because Tony had fallen asleep. Joshua carried the sleeping toddler while Rose and Jackie talked in quiet voices. Not much was said to Joshua on the way to the vehicles and that was alright with him. His heart was still pumping adrenaline wildly through his system.

After seeing Jackie to her car, they followed her home. They didn't get out to chat. They stay long enough to make sure she got inside before heading towards their flat.

Once inside, Rose hugged Joshua as tightly as she could.

_'I'm so glad you're alright and that your plan worked.'_

_'Don't my plans usually work?'_

_'Course they do. It's that next step that you usually don't think through.'_

_'True enough.'_

They stood in one another's embrace. It was Rose who stepped away first. She kissed him hungrily, the fire she felt racing through their bond. Soon enough, all that could be heard was the rhythmic slide of skin against skin.


	12. Asking Permission

**Asking Permission**

The rest of the week went smoothly. They dismantled the dimension cannon. After that was complete, Pete sent Joshua to start training for a team. The work was exhausting, he found, but the team worked well. Rose wasn't a part of it, but then, she had her own job. Joshua did as well, technically, but he became one of the few assigned to R&D who were trained in some sort of combat. He still shied away from any weapons, but Jake still insisted he prove that he could shoot one. He then stopped complaining when Joshua proved he was a much better shot than anyone in the company.

"Just because I don't like weapons doesn't mean I can't use them."

Friday night saw him completely exhausted. He fell onto their couch almost immediately and opted not to move. Rose took pity on him and ordered pizza. He'd cooked every night since they'd been home, so she figured he could use a break.

He let his mind drift while sitting down. He was nervous and anxious about this weekend. He hadn't told Rose, but he planned on asking Pete's permission to marry Rose in a formal Earth ceremony. It didn't need to be posh, but he owed it to her to give her something normal in their not so normal lives. Oh, he knew Rose knew he was planning on getting a ring, but he'd kept the other carefully hidden from her wandering mind.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Joshua and Rose arrived at the mansion at noon on Saturday. He had butterflies in his stomach. His intention today was to talk to Jackie and Pete and ask for Rose's hand in marriage. A very old fashioned thing to do on Earth, but it was typical on Gallifrey. Well, at least for those marriages that weren't political. Joshua also wanted Pete's help on picking out a ring.

Jackie led them out back to the patio where she had a small lunch prepared. Tony was running around the yard.

"Look at you two! You're practically glowing!" Joshua's ears tinged pink but Rose had a full blush.

"Shut up."

"Oh, you finally did it, didn't ya!" She squealed at her daughter.

"Jackie." Pete looked at her with a mock glare. "No need to pry into the kids' personal lives."

Jackie rolled her eyes at Pete.

"Actually, Pete, I need to talk to you." Joshua gestured back towards the house. Pete raised his eyebrow but followed Joshua into the house. Jackie looked at Rose, trying for an explanation.

"You know what that's about, then?"

"Yup! He's asking Pete for advice on a jeweler." Jackie gasped.

"He gonna ask?"

"I think it's more a formality at this point."

"Wacha mean?"

"We kinda already bonded."

Jackie looked at Rose confused.

"That some sort of alien marriage?"

"Pretty much. But we both want an actual ceremony. Nothing big. A hand-fasting. Just a few guests, Mum, not the entire world."

"But you're the Vitex heir. It's expected to be big!"

"I don't care. This is what we want. Now, if you want, we can just go and elope." Rose looked at her mother, trying to make her understand. Jackie heaved a large sigh.

"Fine. Something small. Give me the list of people you want invited. And the date and I'll put the rest of it together for ya." Rose beamed at her mother and hugged her.

"Thank you." She whispered. Jackie hugged her tighter.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

In the house, Joshua was nervous. He'd never really courted anyone before. On Gallifrey, marriages had been arranged. Well, his had been. He'd loved his wife, but she was lost to him now. He knew in theory what to do, but standing here with Pete made it seem that much, well, more.

"Doctor, stop pacing."

Joshua stopped and grinned widely at Pete.

"Glad to see that you still think so."

"So, what did you call me in here for."

"Umm, well…canIhaveyourdaughter'shandinmarriage?" He rushed.

"Doctor….I would be honored." Joshua smiled, full of relief.

"Can I…get your help with a ring?" Pete grinned at him. The courageous man he knew was nervous about getting married. It was amazingly human of him and made Pete think more of the man, if that were possible.

"Don't worry about the ring. I'll take care of that. Now, is Rose talking to Jackie about planning the wedding?"

"Yeah. We don't want anything big, Pete. Just a hand-fasting with a few friends."

"Gonna be a tough sell to Jackie. This is her only daughter."

"True, but this is also about damage control. You know how Jeopardy-friendly Rose is, not to mention me. The less people, the less we have to rescue."

Pete barked out a laugh and Joshua joined in. Neither could deny the truth of those words.

"So, since I know Jackie will be harping on Rose for a bit, why don't you and I sneak out to the jewelry store. We might get lucky and find something you like."

"That….that sounds brilliant, Pete."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"So, what ya lookin' for sweetie?" River Song, or as she was known here, Melody Pond, asked Joshua for the third time.

"I…um…I'm looking for something with a darkish blue stone."

"What, no diamonds? Diamonds are a girl's best friend, you know." She told him, winking. That seemingly made him even more bothered which delighted her.

"No, not this girl. She has her heart set on blue."

"Hmm….let me see. Do you want custom made or something we already have?"

"Let's try with what you have and if I don't find it, then we'll look at custom." He'd apparently gotten over his shock because he was no longer stuttering.

Melody took them over to a case that had rings of varying shades of blue. Some light. Some dark. He spent ten minutes looking them over, taking them out and eyeing them, before he finally found the one he was looking for.

The band was white gold. Set in the middle was a beautiful 2 carat sapphire flanked on each side by a 1 carat diamond. The price was hefty, but Pete assured Joshua he would be more than happy to pay for it.

"Joshua, you've given this family more than I can ever repay you for. Let me do this." Joshua finally relented. Now all he needed to do was find the perfect time to propose.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

On the way back, they talked about the recent invasion attempt. Gloa had been docile since his capture. Apparently, it was dishonorable to be captured and he had tried everything to get the guards to kill him. But the skies had been clear of anyone seeking revenge. The Nazurians hadn't entered into any negotiations and were pointedly ignoring Pete and Rose's attempts at communication.

"I just really don't know what to do with him. He's too dangerous to let loose in society, but I feel really bad about keeping him locked up."

"Well, he is a criminal, Pete. Let's just give it some time. Maybe he'll come around. If not, by that point we should have figured out what to do with him."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Jackie and Rose had spent the afternoon gossiping. It had taken them about twenty minutes to realize the men had left. Jackie went about trying to embarrass her daughter even though Tony was the only one who could hear. Rose still blushed which delighted Jackie.

It wasn't long after 2:00pm when they heard Pete's car coming up the drive. By that time, Rose and Jackie had compiled the guest list. It had close to fifty people on it, but Rose figured she could deal with that. This week had been exhausting for them all but Rose and Joshua had agreed to watch Tony tonight so Pete and Jackie could go out. They weren't planning on much, but it would give them some time alone which they hadn't really had since they'd gotten back from the jump.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The night went fairly well. Joshua and Rose let Tony pick their movies for the night. Joshua was surprised to find they still had Disney here. Tony picked several movies. They made a pallet on the floor and the three of them lay there all evening, watching films. They ordered pizza for the second night in a row. Not a single one complained. Eventually, they all drifted to sleep.

Jackie and Pete walked quietly into the house. There in the floor in their living room were their three children. Tony was tucked in between Rose and Joshua. They looked so peaceful and content that Jackie couldn't resist taking a picture. It woke Joshua, of course, but he only lifted his head. He smiled blearily at them, before plopping his head back down and falling asleep.


	13. A Proposal

**A Proposal**

Joshua had never been so nervous in his life. Or in the Doctor's life. He and Rose had already made a lifelong commitment. Now they were trying to solidify it in the eyes of both their peoples. But first, he had to propose. He wanted it to be perfect for her.

The date was March 4, 2011. It was a Friday. Joshua and Rose had been bonded for just over a week. And for that time, he had wracked his brain, trying to find some way to take her breath away.

He had left Torchwood at noon. He spent the afternoon getting everything ready. When Rose got home, he instructed her to dress for a date in the outdoors. He loaded the cooler and blanket into the back of the car while she was changing, trying not to spoil the surprise. It was near dusk when they finally headed out.

He drove her to a park outside of the city. He set up a picnic and beckoned her to join him. She grinned her cheeky little grin.

They ate the various types of nibbles that he had made. He had also brought wine glasses and poured them each a glass of wine. Since coming here, and becoming human, they had a found a nice sweet dessert wine that he liked. They sat and ate, watching the stars come out. They talked, about nothing and everything. They talked of their travels in the past, and places they wanted to go in the future. Mostly, they tried to enjoy one another's company.

Once the stars were out, Rose nestled herself into Joshua's arms as they lay staring at the night sky. He tilted her head back towards him and kissed her. Deep and slow. They kissed until they both ran out of breath. He edged his head back and looked her in the eyes.

"Rose Marion Tyler, for 900 years I have traversed time and space. When I met you, I was ready to give up. I had lost my home, my family, and wanted nothing more than to lose my life. But then I met this wonderful woman, all pink and yellow. She was brave, and didn't mind the dangers of my life. She understood my life and my choices, and didn't bat an eye when hard choices needed to be made. She supported me in everything. And then I lost her. Before that, I thought I could keep her at arms length. I did all sorts of stupid things to try to keep myself from falling deeper than I already had. It wasn't until I thought I had lost you forever that I saw how much of a fool I had been. I was already in love long before that. That's when I realized that I would do anything for you once I got you back. I love you, Rose Tyler. I know we're already bonded...but would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Rose had teared up during his speech. He never faltered, and never took his eyes off hers. At some point, unnoticed to Rose, he had pulled out the ring. He gently pressed the box into her hands, waiting for her response. She smiled at him and brought him down for a heated kiss.

_'Of course I'll marry you, you daft alien.'_

They melted into one another.


	14. Introducing Melody Pond

**Introducing Melody Pond**

Jackie Tyler was a social creature. Anyone who knew her knew this. Jackie made it a point to be sociable with all of her husband's contacts. As such, most of them had been to the mansion at one point or another.

That's where Joshua and Rose found themselves a week after he officially proposed. Jackie was insistent on throwing an engagement party and she had invited a few of her and Pete's contacts.

Joshua kept to himself most of the evening. He watched Rose mix and mingle with the crowds. He was happily munching on nibbles when Melody appeared beside him.

"Hello, sweetie. How're you doing this evening?"

Joshua almost choked on what he was eating. After recovering, he looked at Melody and gave her a small smile.

"Doing good."

"I take I she liked the ring?"

"She loved it. It was perfect."

"So…how'd ya do it? Fancy dinner?"

"Nope. Picnic under the stars."

"Oh, that sounds dreamy."

Rose had stepped back over by Joshua's side at this point.

"Hey Melody. Wasn't expecting you in. I take it you've met Joshua?"

"Oh Rosie, he bought your ring from me. Took a bit to find one he liked but I think we did pretty well. What about, you, though? I thought you weren't coming back once you found him. What gives?"

"Pushy as ever, aren't you?"

"Absolutely. Now, I thought you weren't coming back. I was all prepared to have to console your mum. So…?"

"We had a change of plans, Mel. That's all. He decided he would be okay staying here with me and my folks."

"If you say so. I know there's more to this story. But I also know you and I know you won't tell me right now. So, if you'll excuse me, there's a certain Vitex wife I need to go talk to." And with that, Melody sauntered off leaving Joshua a bit confused. Rose, perceptive as she was, noticed.

"What's bothering you?"

"I've met her, in the other Universe. She whispered my name in my ear. My real name. The only person I could ever do that with was my wife. She's going to be his wife one day, in the other Universe."

Rose raised an eyebrow at this.

"Well, here, she's one of my mom's best friends. She's a bit of an enigma. She appeared out of nowhere. Well, that's not entirely true. She had fallen through the Rift with no memories. Torchwood took her in and she and Mum became close. She's human, that much we know."

Joshua looked thoughtful for a moment.

"When I met her, she knew everything about me, like she was living her life in reverse to mine. I only know of one way, one place, that can make a person do that."

"Doesn't matter. That life is past you and she is obviously a different person here."

"I….you know what, you're right."


	15. Time Lord Victorious

_Sorry for the delay guys. Life has been happening and I've been away from the internet. Hopefully, I can get my posting back on track within this next week. As always, thank you for reading!_

**Time Lord Victorious**

Joshua woke the next morning with a pounding headache. He wrote it off as a hangover, although he really didn't remember drinking that much. He lay in bed for a bit, hoping it would go away but he had no such luck. Rose was already up and about, probably talking to Jackie about wedding plans. Joshua got out of bed slowly, each movement making the pounding worse. He managed to get dressed, and started his way slowly down the stairs, towards the kitchen.

He shuffled his way slowly across the floor, each step trying not to jar his head. Now that he was up and moving, he felt nauseous as well. He almost made it to the kitchen, but a fresh wave of pain and nauseous hit him, so intense that he fell to the floor. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_Joshua looked around at the scenery. He was standing on a red planet with his orange space suit on, staring across the landscape. In the distance, he could see what appeared to be a small colony unit. The white of the walls contrasted greatly with the red of the sand._

_He started forward, head in the direction of the colony. Even though he'd parked only about a mile away, it seemed like forever before he finally reached it. He used his sonic screwdriver to get inside. The halls were mostly barren, which he kind of expected. These types of exploration colonies usually didn't hold more than ten people at a time. Something about this one set his stomach to churning, but he attempted to ignore it._

_It didn't take long before he was captured and brought in front of the commanding officer._

"_State your name, rank, and purpose."_

"_The Doctor. Doctor. Fun." There he goes, being a smart-ass when he has a gun pointed towards his head._

It was at this point that Joshua realized he had been sucked into his counter-part's mind. He tried to sever the connection, but something kept him held in place. No matter how he tried, he couldn't disconnect. He watched the scene unfold like a horror story.

_The leader seemed to mistrust him, and rightfully so. Not that he had a malicious intent, but because he'd walked into the base. As far as they knew, there wasn't technology out there that could do that. So he was treated with suspicion._

_As the adventure progressed and things became tense, it finally dawned on the Doctor why he'd felt so nauseous. This was a fixed point, something he couldn't change. He wanted to, so badly. He was so tired of following all the rules whenever all the Universe did was take away everything he ever wanted. For once, he was going to do what he wanted, damn the rules._

Joshua cringed. Joshua was supposed to be the violent, self-destructive one. At least that's what the Doctor had said. But this, this was beyond destructive. It wasn't exactly suicidal, but it was evil. Joshua knew what happened to a Time Lord who didn't follow established rules. Those rules were there for a reason.

_The Doctor watched as the entire team was taken over by the water. He had an escape plan, but knew that no one was supposed to live through this encounter. It was fixed, but he didn't care. He was determined that Adelaide would live. Even if he couldn't save everyone, he could save her. Damn the rules._

_They landed on Earth and Adelaide left the TARDIS. Snow was coming down, and lights were up on the flats. Christmas time, he assumed. He confessed to Adelaide what was supposed to happen, that she was supposed to die that day. Her and her crew never made it back from that expedition and no one ever knew why. He called himself the Time Lord Victorious and time would bend to his will._

_Adelaide went inside her home. The sound of a gun shot would echo through the Doctor's mind for centuries. A warning to himself that he could go too far. That he did go too far. He stumbled back to his TARDIS, horrified at himself and what he'd become. His song was ending soon. He'd seen the signs and had an idea of what they meant. His final death. And he was so, so afraid._

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Joshua woke slowly. His head was still pounding an his body ached. He could feel harsh bright lights shining on him, making him close his eyes tighter. He could hear the beeping of machines. Someone's hand clasped his own, drawing soothing circles on the back of it.

He groaned and turned to his side, facing whomever had his hand. He heard a gasp. Whoever squeezed his hand gently before getting up and walking out of the room. He was left alone and almost started panicking. He calmed immediately when he heard Rose's voice yelling down the hallway.

"Mum! Dad! He's awake!"

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He kept his eyes closed through the entire interrogation because that's what it felt like. It took the doctor coming in and turning off the lights to coax his eyes open. Standing around his bed were Rose, Jackie, Pete, Jack and the man who had given him his physical. Doctor Martin was his name. Joshua had chuckled a bit and called him "Doc Martin". Rose and Jackie got the reference but it went right over Pete's head. They didn't have that brand of shoes here.

Doc Martin went over his vitals with him. Apparently, he'd passed out on his way to the kitchen. Rose and Jackie heard him fall. When they'd gotten to him, he'd been unresponsive but otherwise fine. His vitals fluctuated the entire time he was out, but nothing too alarming. It'd only been a couple of hours since he'd arrived at the Torchwood operated hospital, but the entire family had been tense. Well, everyone but Rose. Rose had stayed calm and collected through the entire ordeal. Even now, she seemed to not be bothered one bit by his strange episode.

_'Are you alright, love?'_

Rose raised her eyes to his and he bit back a gasp. They were completely golden. Not glowing like when she had absorbed the Vortex, but definitely not her normal color either. Her eyes were lighter and reminded him of a wolf. She bent down and whispered in his ear. The two-toned sound of her voice gave him chills.

"Doctor, this will not break you. But you have to stop running. It is time."

She sat back and seemed to shiver. When she looked back at Joshua, her eyes were mostly normal again. He blinked rapidly, trying to process what had happened.

"It was horrible, Rose, what he did. Tell me it wasn't true."

"I'm so, so sorry, but he has no one. He's lost everything, including a part of himself. He's gone a bit mad. It's not wonder he tried to do this."

"You...you know what happened?" Rose nods, pursing her lips together.

"I have seen all that was, is, and could be. Of course I saw this. But yes, I used the bond to take a peak. I wasn't pulled in like you were. Not wholly. It felt more like watching the telly."

"Oh..." Joshua felt the brush of her mind against his.

_'We'll talk when we get home, love.'_

Joshua nodded. Jackie and Pete finally broke away from Doc Martin. The doctor smiled at Joshua before starting to unhook him from the machines.

"Well, you gave your family quite the scare. Your vitals spiked, but nothing to alarming. It was mostly you passing out that startled them. We've had dealings with psychic attacks before and if you don't mind, I'd like you to stop by daily to make sure you're mind isn't damaged, for at least a week. Rose explained the nature of your connection. I'm fairly certain that you are fine and won't have any problems. Mostly, I'm just worried about a relapse. What will happen the next time something traumatic happens to him?"

"Well, honestly, I'm sure it will happen again when he regenerates. He could hold a body for centuries but he seems to think that he's coming to an end soon. So, I can only assume that I'll still be alive when it happens."

"Ah, well, this might sound a bit, overprotective of me, but for mine and your family's piece of mind, could you make sure you have someone near you most of the time?"

"You're treating me like a seizure patient, aren't you?"

"Not exactly, but at the same time, yes. We're won't be putting you on medication, but this episode is very similar to a seizure-like episode. Like I said, a bit overprotective on my part, but I'd rather not risk you getting seriously hurt because you fell."

"I'll consider it."

"No driving, either. Not until we're sure this has passed." Joshua closed his eyes and sighed. He honestly, at that moment, hated the Time Lord. He could properly get on with his life because of him!

_'I love you.' _ Rose breathed through his mind, soothing him.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Jackie insisted they come back to the mansion that night and refused to take no for an answer.

"Look, Doctor, you were just ill not twelve hours ago. I'm not sure if my heart can take something happening to you. Especially not since this is the happiest I've seen my Rose in years. You're coming home with us and I just might make you move in. Never did like that flat she moved to."

"Don't...Jackie, please don't call me Doctor." She blinked her eyes at him.

"Why the heck not? It's who you are, isn't it?"

"No, I'm my own person." Jackie pinched the bridge of her nose before replying.

"Doctor. Joshua. Doesn't matter which I call you, really. A person is the sum of his memories. My daughter told me that after you got here, trying to convince me that you were the same person. You have over 900 years of memories still in your head. You are the Doctor. Not a copy. Not a cheap throw-away."

"I...I appreciate what you're trying to say, Jackie. Really I do. And you don't know how glad I am that you and Pete are taking this as well as you are. But I _**want**_ to be seen as a separate person from him. Rose understands that. Please, call me by the name I picked for myself."

"Oh alright. I'll try. If anyone in this world understands, it's me. Some of Pete and my biggest rows have been one or the other comparing. Lord knows I'm not his Jackie nor he my Pete, but we've made it work. Just remember, -Joshua, we want what's best for the two of you."

Joshua smiled the most genuine smile he'd ever given Jackie. Soon they were hugging and laughing and crying and Joshua felt an intense sense of _**home**_. Not for the first time since landing here, he wondered how he had gotten so lucky to be the one left here.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Later, in their room in their wing of the mansion, Joshua finally brought up what had been bugging him all day.

"Rose, why didn't you tell me?" Rose looked quickly away, hurt flicking across her face. She didn't answer so he continued talking. "You telepathy is outstanding for a human. And today, your eyes glowed gold and you were...you were Bad Wolf again. How long as this been going on?"

Rose took a deep breath and held it. When she exhaled, it was shaky. Joshua realized that she was scared to breach this subject with him. Terrified even. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly to him, murmuring soft words and caressing her.

"It's okay, Rose. I'm sorry I brought it up. I didn't...I didn't know it was such a touchy subject for you. You don't have to talk to me about it right now, love."

_'It started right after we arrived here. Only thing I can think of is that the particles were dormant. I was so afraid when I fell that they triggered, but it was too late. Pete had already caught me and brought me back here. I was in agony for days, cut off from you, the TARDIS and the Vortex. Finally, though, the pain seemed to subside. I walked through the world numb, barely living. Mum and Mickey tried everything but it was Pete who finally was able to pull me out of it by giving me a purpose._

_I started Torchwood, not really wanting to be there. That first day, though, I created the allegiance with the Arcadians. I couldn't figure out why everyone was looking at me weirdly. I didn't know that I was speaking their language perfectly. I just assumed they were speaking English. That was the first indication that Bad Wolf had awakened._

_The next wasn't until I started the dimension cannon. They tried at first sending something that wasn't human. Nothing alive. It came back corrupted. Pete and Mum didn't want me to go but Jake, Mickey and I snuck in one night. We fired it up and I went through. I'm not even sure where I landed, actually. They only let me be gone for a few minutes before bringing me back. They said what I landed, I was glowing yellow. Mickey knew what it meant. I'd told him how I'd gotten back to you at the Game Station. But this is the first he'd seen with his own eyes._

_I went to so many worlds. Saw so much heartache, and evil, and have died a thousand deaths. You couldn't tell that looking at my body. I have no scaring from my dimension hopping. But I've been broken and scattered. I've seen worlds where you didn't exist. Some where you were evil. Some where I was evil. It made me go a bit mad. I finally had to make myself a tape to listen to after each jump so I could know I was in the correct place and not losing my mind._

_That's why I have nightmares. That's why I've been clinging to you in my sleep. Because I have so much to hide. And I'm so afraid that if I let go of your in my sleep that you will disappear. I'm not sure if I could bear that.'_

Joshua didn't say anything. He just kept rocking Rose and murmuring soothingly. He sent her a wave of love down the bond and wrapped her tightly in it. His ministrations finally started calming her and she stepped back, wiping tears from her face.

"Thank you, Joshua, for everything. For just listening. I've never...Mickey, Jake, Pete...none of them know what I went through trying to find out. They suspect quite a bit but none of them know. And I'm just...one days, I'll let you see the memories, if you want. But not right now. I want...I want a good long soak in the bath and then bed."

"Your wish is my command."


	16. Wedding Plans

**Wedding Plans**

Joshua and Rose stayed with her parents through that week. Things became a bit claustrophobic for Joshua. Jackie was constantly hinting at and asking about grandchildren. After the fifth time of him explaining that he still wasn't sure if they would be able to have kids, he huffed and walked out of the house. Rose looked at Jackie and glared, shaking her head.

"Stop, Mum. He's already told you that we don't know if we'll be able to. Just, stop."

"But Rose-"

"No buts, Mum." And Rose walked out on her, off to search for Joshua.

He hadn't gone far. Rose found him sitting on the swing in the back yard. He had his head propped up with one of his hands and was staring into the distance. She sat down quietly beside him and took his hand, twining their fingers together. They sat silently, neither really wanting to talk, nor really needing to. Emotions on both sides of the bond were boiling.

After a while, Jackie came back outside. Joshua tried ignoring her presence until she placed a plate in front of him with freshly made banana bread. He blinked and looked up at her. Instead of the scowl he expected, she seemed a bit dejected and resigned.

"I'm sorry for pushing, Joshua. I didn't even bother asking if that's what you wanted. I was shoving my morals and goals onto the two of you and that wasn't right. I can't lie, though. I do want grandchildren, but maybe I should let you get your lives in order before I start harping about that. Truce?" Joshua considered telling her no, but he didn't want to harbor a grudge against her. He took the plate with the peace offering of banana bread. He stood up and sat the plate down and enveloped Jackie in a hug. She was surprised at first but quickly hugged him back.

"Now, Joshua, I need to take Rose to look at dresses. I know the wedding is still a few months off, but the quicker we get most things done, the longer we'll have to get the fittings and stuff done. And no, before you ask, you can't go with us. You're not seeing the dress before the wedding. We'll let you know the color scheme so you can make sure your best man and yourself are dressed correctly. Who will be your best man?"

"Jake." Rose and Joshua said simultaneously. They grinned goofily at one another and Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Alright. C'mon, Rose. Joshua, Pete's in his study on a teleconference. Would you mind looking after Tony until he'd done?"

"Sure."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"We're picking up Melody on the way. You said you were having her as your maid of honor?"

"Yeah, Mum. I like a lot of the girls I work with but Mel is the only person we've met since coming here that I've really connected with. She's my best friend. Better than Shireen or Keisha ever were."

"Well, Joshua seems to have taken a liking to her as well."

"That's because he met a version of her in the other Universe. He didn't tell me much but it seems that she will eventually marry the Time Lord. At least, that's what Joshua thinks."

"Wow...I'd say it's a bit difficult to see him married. I mean, I can already see some of the differences between Joshua and the Doctor. I can see how those bits of Donna's personality have changed him for the better, really."

"I like him fine the way he was, Mum." Jackie rolled her eyes at her daughter.

"Well, of course you did. But you also love him the way he is now." Jackie didn't bother asking her if it was true. It was a fact which she'd seen every day this week. But after their rocky start to the day, Jackie didn't want to push.

They picked up Melody outside her work. She had put a 'closed' sign up for the day. Rose had never seen her close her shop early. Melody slid into the back seat.

"Hello ladies. How's the bride-to-be?"

"Cranky. She and Joshua stayed with us all week. Even though they were at work most of the time, they apparently have had enough of me."

"Well duh, Jackie! No adult wants to be in the same house as her parents and the person she's shagging. They've probably had a dry spell all week!" Rose blushed while Melody and Jackie laughed. She could already tell that today was going to be a long day.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose was frustrated. The three of them had been here for five hours and she was no closer to picking out a dress now than when they arrived. Rose called Joshua to vent and maybe get an idea.

"_Hello."_

"Hello."

"_You three done yet?"_

"Nope. I'm about ready to give up, actually."

"_Why? I thought you enjoyed shopping."_ Rose could hear the smirk she was sure was on his face.

"You're one to talk. I seem to recall exactly how happy you were modeling for me."

"_Well, I'll model for you later, if you want."_ Rose could imagine Joshua wiggling his eyebrows. She collapsed into a fit of giggles. Joshua tried to act offended but ended up laughing with her. Finally, they both quieted.

"Thank you for the laugh. I think that's what I needed."

"_To laugh?"_

"And to hear your voice." Then line went silent for a moment. Then soft, just barely above a whisper, Rose heard Joshua's reply.

"_Rose Tyler, I love you."_

"I love you too."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose went back to dress shopping in a much better mood. She began looking through the dresses, trying to get ideas on how to alter them to make the perfect dress. While talking to Joshua, she'd had an idea for a color scheme for the wedding. Now she had to find a dress it would look good with.

Amazingly, it was Melody who pointed her in the right direction. Rose fell in love with the dress immediately, and it would do quite nicely for what she had in mind. After she explained her plan to the seamstress, they sat down and planned the perfect dress.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When Rose and Jackie finally got home, Joshua was out of his mind with curiosity. Of course, Jackie insisted that he couldn't know how the dress really looked until their wedding day. Rose rolled her eyes at her Mum and mouthed _'later'_ to Joshua.

Rose and Jackie spent the rest of the day barricaded in Pete's study, going over wedding plans. More than once, Joshua heard yelling from the room. And some squealing. Taking a hint from Pete and Tony, Joshua stayed on the other end of the mansion, away from the clamor of their plotting.

He ended up back in the yard, on the bench swing. It's funny how his day seems to have ended in the same place where it started. Then again, all his time in the TARDIS was exactly the same. His life really hadn't changed much. This was a different adventure all together.

It was nearing six o'clock before the women extracted themselves from the study. Both looked exhausted. Rose slowly walked towards Joshua and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

_'Everything sorted?'_

_'Mostly. Still a few things. Good news is, you get to wear the blue suit.'_

_'Bad news?'_

_'It's going to be a little bigger than what we had originally wanted it. Good reason for it, but still.'_

Joshua raised an eyebrow but remained silent. He trusted that they would get the details settled without him. Hopefully. He really didn't want to get into an argument with Jackie Tyler.


	17. The Vault

**The Vault**

Pete's day usually started with meetings with the department heads before everyone separated. He held smaller meetings with his field teams. He knew every employee by name, as well as their contributions to the company. He also knew most of their families. Torchwood had become a household name since he took over. After Lumic, came the realizations that they could be betrayed by their own. Aliens suddenly didn't seem like such a problem any more.

Easily a third of the Earth's population had been wiped out by Lumic and his experiments. It was worse in the more developed countries, where almost everyone could afford the earbuds. England had loss an entire half of it's population. The Colonies had fared much worse, with almost two thirds of their population converted.

When England proposed the reopening of Torchwood, most of the world despised the idea. But instead of hiding alien invasions, like had been done in the past, Torchwood let the world see how things really were. It didn't take long for a branch to be established in most developed countries. Each worked independently from the other, but they all followed the same guidelines. With Rose's help, Earth quickly became one of the leading destinations in the solar system. While Earth didn't quite have the technology to go off-world yet, they held treaties with several civilizations which had led to scientists leaving to learn off-world. It was one of the achievements Pete was so proud of. This also gave them a chance to get quite a bit of "merchandise" from these peoples, all of which were currently in the Vault.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The first time Joshua stepped into the Vault, he had to step back out again. The sheer immensity of it overwhelmed his senses. Inside, somewhere, was a Time Distorter. He hadn't seen one of those since the Time War. He gasped for breath and described it to Calvin. It took a bit of searching, but he finally found the device. Joshua quickly walked him through how to disable it. Joshua eyed the device warily once Calvin brought it back out.

"Why did this not affect me, Joshua?" Joshua slid down the wall to sit on the floor, cradling his head in his hands. His head was pounding and he'd only been exposed for a few seconds.

"You aren't Time sensitive. I never would have thought that a device like this would be in this Universe."

"But what does it do?" Joshua exhaled gruffly before continuing with his explanation.

"This was one of the more potent weapons against Time Lords to ever be developed. It distorts and warps Time around it, which can cause a Time Lord to fall unconscious. Even with this body being part human, I still have a fairly good Time sense and it drives me bananas. Ninety-nine percent of species in the Universe wouldn't be affected by it. It was the perfect weapon that could be disguised and no one would know it was there until a Time Lord stumbles upon it. The question is, how did it get here?"

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose while trying to make sense of what she was being told. Gloa was apparently going on a hunger strike as well as tormenting those who came near him. Rose wanted nothing more to integrate him into the populace, but he'd been aggressive and threatening to anyone who came near, no matter their species. He flat out refused to talk to Joshua or Rose, often lunging and barring his teeth like an animal. Pete was at his wit's end trying to deal with the savage. Their meeting was interrupted by Joshua bursting through the doors, Calvin on his heels.

"Do you have any idea the weapons of mass destruction you have in your Vault?!" Joshua was furious and close to shrieking. The Time Distorter had greatly unnerved him and he knew he was acting irrationally. That didn't stop Joshua from getting in Pete's face, a low growl issuing from his throat. Pete and Rose both sat, stunned. Calvin's eyes flitted back and forth. Rose lowered her eyes to the object in Calvin's hands and sucked in a sharp breath.

"I thought we destroyed that." Joshua backed away from Pete and spared a glance at Rose. She'd become deathly pale, staring at the contraption. "Pete, I thought we destroyed that. What the hell is it doing down in the Vault?"

"Rose, do you know what this is?" Joshua's voice had gone quiet and his eyes were searching hers. She looked him in the eyes and shook her head.

"The first time I saw it, I just thought it looked pretty. It stayed on my desk for a while. The script reminded me of the notes you kept in the console room. I knew it had to come from Gallifrey but I wasn't sure how it had gotten here. I foolishly thought that if I unlocked it's secrets, I'd be able to find a way back. It was Mickey to accidentally triggered it. I was on my way back from a meeting with Pete when I felt it turn on. I started having seizures. It took them almost an hour to figure out what it was I was having a reaction to. By that point I had already been heavily sedated and strapped to a bed. When I finally woke, I begged my father to have it destroyed. I didn't know at the time what it actually did, but I knew I was the only one affected. We always thought it was because of my prolonged exposure to the Vortex. Mickey and Mum didn't have that much. Mickey did end up getting a headache from handling it, so it sounded like a good theory." Pete had kept quiet this entire time. Simultaneously, Joshua and Rose looked at him and arched an eyebrow. If he hadn't already known about their bond, he would have been unnerved. As it was, he just squirmed in his seat a bit before replying.

"We've head and seen so many great things from you, Doctor. But we have all also seen how you work, how dangerous you can be. I didn't have it destroyed because if it's here, who is to say that there might not be other Time Lords? Some that aren't as friendly as you."

"I killed my entire race, Pete. I seriously doubt you will have to face another like me in your entire life. But this also caused Rose to get sick. Why on Earth would you keep it, especially after she asked you to destroy it?"

"I don't think you'd understand." Joshua narrowed his eyes at Pete.

"Try me." Pete sighed, defeated. He motioned for everyone to leave his office except Joshua and Rose. This stopped being about Torchwood long ago and more about him failing to protect his daughter.

"We kept it as a last resort in case we had Time Travelers come and mean us harm. It seemed to work on anyone who had traveled through the Vortex to an extent. Rose was by far the worst and yes, she asked me to destroy it. But I thought it best not in case something worse tried to attack us." Joshua hung his head. He knew Pete was right but it still angered him. He kept having flash backs to the Time War.

"I don't know how this got here, Pete, but it needs to be put away in a safer spot. Some place where only you have access. As much as I hate to admit it, you have a point. It just needs to be kept away from me and Rose. I think we're done for the day. I am, at least. I can't...not after feeling that." Pete glanced at his daughter. She glared at him and he sighed again. He hadn't wanted to hurt his family but protect it by any means necessary. Apparently, he'd managed to mess that up grandly.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Once home, Joshua curled into a ball on their bed. Rose nestled in beside him, offering what physical comfort she could. She brushed the edges of his mind and he whimpered. She didn't push to be let in but continued to send him soothing waves of comfort and love. Eventually, he uncurled himself and wrapped his arms around her. He still didn't let her in. He was still a bit too raw for that. Images of the Time War still flashed behind his eyelids. Those weren't scenes he wanted her to see right now.

Although his mind was still mostly Time Lord, the little bit of human in him made it more difficult for him to compartmentalize and lock away these bad memories. If Rose didn't know better, she would think he was having a psychotic break. However, there wasn't really anything either could do but let the episode play itself out.

Joshua couldn't help but think how weak he had become as a human. His wit was still as strong as ever, but between the hormones and the emotional swings he was having, he was starting to have a difficult time coping. For the first time since starting at Torchwood, he wondered if it were the best idea. Perhaps he should think about finding a more mundane job.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Pete stood in front of the broken cell, wondering what they could do now. Gloa, it seemed, had escaped. Security was rolling back tape to see if he had inside help or if their cells were really that shoddy. From just looking at it, it seemed that he had ripped two bars off and slipped through. Pete still wasn't sure how he'd escaped the complex. Security had swept the complex, scanning ever crevice and come up with nothing. All this just days before the Shadow Proclamation was to arrive and detain him pending his trial.

Pete resisted the urge to call Joshua or Rose. He understood more than anyone the issues a person faced while coping with a new identity. They had counselors specifically designed for that. They had to, with all the off-worlders who had integrated themselves into Earth's population. He pulled out his phone and sent Rose a text message.

_'Gloa has escaped. Be on high alert. Call me this evening. -Dad'_

After sending the text message, he called his head of security.

"Jason, I need a surveillance unit sent to Rose's residence. Send them each with a weapon with live rounds and one with tranqs. Brief them of the situation. The objective is still to take him alive unless it's a matter of life or death."

He hangs up the phone after a brief acknowledgment of orders. He runs his hand over his scalp, lightly massaging the back of his neck. Jake sidles up beside him, arms crossed.

"So, boss, what are we going to tell the Shadows when they get here?"

"With any luck, we will have him back in custody."

"And if we don't?"

"Well, if we don't then I guess it's time to get Ambassador Tyler to talk to them."


End file.
